Goddess
by Belladonna Andromeda
Summary: Naruto grew up in a world of secrecy, war and legends. His dream is to follow his father's footsteps and become the hero the world is waiting for. But it's a difficult task when no one is willing to speak the truth. NaruFemSasu. KakaFemIru.
1. Chapter 1

Name – Goddess

Genre – Romance/ Dark Romance/ Adventure/ Drama/ Fantasy

Warnings – Fem-Sasuke, Fem-Neji, Fem-Iruka, Fem-Kiba, Fem-Haku, Fem-Gaara, Fem-Hidan, Het, Yuri, Yaoi, Incest, Violence, Language, Cross-dressing and more.

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Iruka, Child Abuse, Discrimination, Violence

Chapter Pairings – NaruSaku, (Slight) KakaIru

Main Pairings – NaruSasu, KakaIru

Summary – Naruto dreams of becoming a hero. After the rise of the Tailed Beasts and the plague that left every woman infertile causing chaos and mayhem, he is fully aware of how much the world needs one. But these are times of war, discrimination, secret organizations and dangerous affairs. He will need more than dreams just to survive.

_Authoress Notes_ –

_The original plan/plot involved the gender-bending of one character only: Sasuke. But I decided to womanize a few more when I realized just how little females there are in Naruto. And most of them aren't even all that strong, especially not compared to the guys._

_Truthfully, my first choice was actually Kakashi because, you know, he kicks ass. But then I realized I had no one to pair him off with. I could have paired him off with Asuma, but I love AsuKure. And IruKaka is just weird to me. So I changed Iruka instead and decided to choose someone else who is kick-ass._

_Like Neji. He's awesome. Not to mention a jounin. And he'd be such a pretty girl._

_I turned Kiba, because I really believe that the Inuzukas would make an awesome amazon clan. And Gaara for the same reason I wanted to pick Kakashi._

_Then I decided to give the bad guys some well-deserved sexy female villainesses. My mind immediately choose Hidan. Although in the Naruto storyline, he isn't all that strong and most of his power is linked to his immortality, I still think he's pretty badass. Mostly because he's batshit crazy. I can totally imagine him as the celibate high priestess of Jasshin. _

_A lot of people pretend that Haku is a girl anyway so I thought 'hey, why not? The more the merrier! Right? Right?'_

_Now, a lot of you are probably going to think 'why not Deidara?'. Because I like Deidara as he is. Pretty face, deep voice, crazy, funny and male. _

_Alrighty, that was the gender-bending part._

_Now, I used to the term 'warrior' instead of 'shinobi' and 'ninja' in this fic. Because its easier. I stole the 'blue fire' theory from The Last Airbender. _

_Authoress Notes, II – _

_I personally think this is probably going to be a pretty confusing fic with lots of affairs, drama, conspiracies and such, so if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask in your review. I will answer them in the next chapter's AN. _

_And please, review. I spent a lot of time, energy and brainpower on this fic. I want to know if it is liked and/or appreciated. I know it's lame, but if I don't get the reviews I think this story deserves than I'm taking it off . _

_Also, if you review, could you say what you liked, disliked, the errors you spotted or anything else that particularly stood out._

_And another thing, I don't know how many of you don't know this, but an author(ess) can see how many people faved their story. And personally, when I see that my story has only three reviews but thirty people faved it, it kind of pisses me off. _

_End AN._

Enjoy. (And review)

000

_Prologue – King of Heroes_

Ever since he was young Naruto had dreamed of a family. Having been forced to live most of his life in solitude and confinement due to the demon sealed inside of him, he longed for those who would love him unconditionally.

He wanted to be someone who'd be remembered for their greatness. He wanted to show people that he was good and could be the hero they were waiting for if they just gave him the chance. But no one listened. No one was willing to give him anything but a taste of their hatred.

Naruto had spent the first eleven years of his life locked up in a separate room in the hospital as doctors and magicians from all over the world gathered in Konoha in an attempt to banish Kyuubi, the most powerful and dangerous of all Tailed Beasts, back to where it came from. Eleven years taken away from him without mercy. Eleven years of cold treatment, painful experiments and hate-filled beatings.

Eleven years of never having known what happiness and laughter was. Locked away like a monster, treated like a labrat.

They had been cold, cruel and selfish. Caring about nothing except their own reputation and wallet. But what people expected to be a one-way ticket into the pages of legend, turned out to be a huge disappointment. His father's seal, although far from perfect was complicated and ingenius nonetheless. It apparently felt people's chakra and would not allow people Minato would not have trusted with his son's health and safety to tamper with it.

They didn't care. They blamed him anyway. Beating him for his supposed insolence and abandoning him in a dark alley once he had lost consciousness.

Eleven years of hatred before someone finally showed him love.

That someone had been a young waitress with a heart of gold by the name of Umino Iruka. She found him in the alleyway and took him back to her apartment where she treated his wounds. She gave him shelter and food despite her limited income, but most importantly of all, she gave him happiness. The kind of life he had been dreaming about.

And even though Iruka had lost several friends for taking in the 'demon child' she genuinely cared for him. It had been difficult for the both of them. Iruka had been forced to take a second job. Naruto insisted on helping by doing little chores for money.

Difficult their lives were, but happy.

On Naruto's thirteenth birthday Iruka had taken him to the palace of Konoha. Naruto had been too afraid and excited to wonder about how much the tour had cost.

That day, Naruto fell in love with Konoha.

The palace was large and majestic. It took three days to complete the tour. On the final day, their guide had taken them to the memorial wing. A section of the palace dedicated to the deceased heroes of Konoha.

Senju Hashirama, the first king of Konoha. The one who had turned a small village into a blossoming country during his rule.

Senju Tobirama, the second king of Konoha. The one who had followed the first king's footsteps and made Konoha one of the most powerful and influencial countries of the world.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third king of Konoha. The one who guided Konoha through the era of the rise of the Tailed Beasts.

And then, there he was, at the end of the hallway. An entire room the size of Iruka's house build in his honor.

Namikaze Minato. The fourth king of Konoha. The greatest hero of all time. The one who led Konoha to victory during the Second Great War. The one who sealed away the most powerful and terrifying Tailed Beast. The one who had dozens of songs, dances, buildings and monuments named after him.

His father. The king of heroes.

The first thing Naruto had seen when he entered his father's memorial hall was a giant tapesty covering most of the back wall with his face on it.

He was smiling down at him.

Naruto had cried. Tears of happiness and joy ran over his cheeks as he bathed in his father's glorious light.

Iruka had managed to convince the guide to let them sleep there for the night. They had spent hours sitting in front of the tapesty with Naruto clinging on to every word as Iruka told him stories about his parents.

That night, Naruto knew for certain. He was meant to be a warrior, a hero like his father had been. He was meant for something great.

The next day he had enthusiastically told Iruka that he wanted to enroll himself into Konoha's Warrior Academy, but she had not reacted the way he had hoped.

She was against the idea. Protesting the very thought of her foster son being thrown from one violent life into another. She had tried to change his mind, telling him in the most frightening way she could that he would be forced to kill people, watch those he grew close to die at the hands of the enemy. The other students would treat him cruelly, maybe even the teachers.

But Naruto couldn't be swayed. He had been stubborn, stating that if Iruka wouldn't pay for his education than he would pay it himself somehow. They hadn't spoken for a week after that, both angry and disappointed in one another.

Naruto had been deadset on proving that he could be someone, that he was not the 'demon child' everyone thought he was. Iruka, however, had been confident that it would much harsher than Naruto wanted to believe.

And she had been right.

After several weeks of saving money, Naruto finally had enough to pay for the first semester. But Naruto had soon discovered that there was more to it.

Konoha was one of the few countries in the world that had several entirely dissimilar clans and tribes. But like all other countries they were viewed as the aristocrats among warriors.

Each clan had their own separate school. Not only did it teach their children the culture, language and history of their clan, but also techniques and abilities only the people of their clan could learn. Because of the fact that they had their own school, students from clans were much more prepared and ahead, always surpassing other students.

Equality was a word not used in the system of Konoha's Warrior Academy. Money, status and ancestry was what mattered. One would have thought that being Namikaze Minato's son would've given Naruto some advantages, but most people refused to believe they were related.

There was the basic class. Anyone with a little spare change could take them. But with just these lessons the best Naruto could become was a guard and not even a royal guard at that. It taught them self-defense and nothing more.

And then there were 'special classes'. Those lessons cost extra money. Those lessons were specific and there were dozens of them. Lessons in weapons, espionage, martial arts, interrogation, disguise, inflitration and so on. And each separate class cost money.

Money only clan members had.

Money that would take Naruto a lifetime to collect just to complety one special class.

And to make matters worse, the student body was divided into several categories. Clan members were the only ones who could actually be called genuine students of Konoha's Warrior Academy. They could afford all the classes they wanted. They were rich, powerful and always ahead of the other students because of their clan school.

They were distant, proud, stoic and arrogant towards the others – knowing all too well that they were better than the rest.

Then there were the aristocrats. They were wealthy enough to afford the classes, but weren't nearly as skilled as clan members. Despite that they always attempted to outdo them in any kind of way.

Snobby, selfish and egoistic brats who enjoyed pestering those less fortunate than them.

Families who had shops, hotels or some kind of relations with clans were next. Although not as rich as the former two, their children could still become fine warriors.

They weren't so bad. Although most of them wouldn't be caught dead with children of the lower rank.

Like peasant children. And even they had more money and power than Naruto did.

It didn't help that Naruto was one of the oldest students either. Nor did the fact that he hadn't had a day's worth of preparation or education like the other students. Hell, the only reason he knew how to read and write was because Iruka taught him. And he still needed help with it every now and then.

His first week at Konoha's Warrior Academy had been disastrous. He had returned every day with tears in his eyes. The teachers ignored his raised hand and pretended not to hear him when he asked them the question during break, the students mocked him and bullied him, the parents insulted him and encouraged their children's behavior.

It had been unbearable, until Iruka finally took pity. She had sat down on the bed next to him offering him all the comfort and hope he needed to fulfil his dream. Though the lessons hadn't become easier nor did the people become kinder, Naruto could bear it simply because one person believed he could. Because Iruka, who loved him, would be waiting at the end of the day with a proud smile and comforting arms.

She had even taken up a third job to try and get him into at least one special class. But even with three jobs and Naruto still doing chores for money on the side it would take years before that happened.

There had been a time that they had thought they had finally collected the money for one special class. And then Iruka discovered the price was for one lousy introduction lesson.

After that, they began losing hope. Naruto no longer believed he could make it.

But then, Naruto turned fifteen and inherited his father's _and_ his mother's fortune. A miracle. A gift from the gods, surely.

It had been the happiest day of his life. It was the first time he had ever seen Iruka cry in happiness.

The first thing they bought was a new house. A house that actually fitted two people, had a kitchen and separate bedrooms. The second was pay off all their debts. And, finally, Naruto had enough money to afford seven special classes. (Iruka had told him he couldn't take them all because unlike clan members who made this kind of money every month, theirs was only a one time budget.)

Naruto would never forget the faces of the clan members and aristocrats when he walked into the classroom with a fresh haircut, new clothes that actually fitted and even the standard armor.

It hadn't been the looks he had been expecting. Instead of outrage and disgust there had been something akin to respect. Naruto never stopped smiling that day.

But five months after, something happened.

Naruto fell in love.

Her name was Haruno Sakura. She was the daughter of a shop owner which selled medicine and herbs. Her family had close ties to the Nara and Akimichi clan. She wasn't the first girl in the family to enter Konoha's Warrior Academy. However, she was the first girl to last longer than three years.

She was also the first girl that ever looked in Naruto's direction and smiled.

At first glance she appeared demure, but one would quickly discover a proud fire behind those jade eyes. It was that fire, that seemed oddly similar to his, that made his heart swell. She, too, possessed the thirst to prove herself. Just like himself, she was willing to take on all the hardships to become great one day and, to him, that made her the most beautiful girl in school.

And, though it had taken years of stuttering, stumbling and embarassment, she began to love him back. Things seemed less bad when there were people around who love you no matter what.

It had been the best years of his life. There had been bad times, of course, but they had overcome them. Together. Like a family would. By the time he had graduated he was no longer the demon child. He was Uzumaki Naruto, the luckiest bastard in Konoha.

Naruto smiled. He lightly squeezed his fianceé's hand as they walked up the stairs to Konoha Palace. Iruka sniffed and dabbed her cheeks.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Iruka. You already did this to me on my graduation day. One would think you would've run out of tears by now."

"I _know_. I'm sorry. It's just..." Iruka trailed off as more tears and sniffs escaped.

"Let her. It's an emotional experience for a mother. You should be glad that I didn't ask _my_ mother to join us. She has the habit of clinging onto people when she gets dramatic." Sakura said, making him chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess so." Naruto sighed. He had never been so nervous in his life. Not even on his graduation day when he was forced in front of three hundred people to give a speech. "I'm finally going to be a warrior. A true, official warrior."

Sakura smiled and nodded, her eyes growing suspiciously shiny. Naruto groaned. "Don't cry. Or I'll start crying too."

"Sorry." She gave a watery giggle. "I'm just so happy for you."

Naruto smiled excitedly. "I can't believe this is happening. Finally. I wonder who I'll be working with."

Sakura smirked. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"What?" Naruto replied innocently.

"Hatake Kakashi is retired. He's a royal guard now. He's no longer doing missions."

"Well, he should be. He is the Lone Wolf of Konoha. He can't just quite and become a royal guard." Naruto pouted.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I saw that. How would you feel if you found out you're idol quit."

Sakura rolled her eyes again, just to annoy him. "I can't believe I agreed to marry you." She grumbled which succeeded in making Iruka sniffle even more.

"Yeah, well, neither can I." Naruto snapped back playfully. "But we're getting married and that's final."

"Married." Sakura giggled. "I like that word."

Naruto smiled at her. "Yeah, me too. 'Cause, you know, marriage creates families."

Sakura's eyes saddened for a second before lighting up again. "Damn straight. Now, come on, or you'll be late for the ceremony." She poked him in the side before dragging him through the grand door. Iruka, still dabbing at her cheeks, followed them.

Just before they entered the palace, Naruto turned around and looked up at the sky. "Look at me, father. I'll make you proud."

The sound of a bell echoed throughout Konoha.

000

_Chapter I – The Sound of War_

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the rise of these new, talented warriors." An elderly man by the name of Mitokado Homura said to the crowd.

"Are the king and queen coming? I was told they would come. It will be the first time I see them." Naruto rambled nervously to the young man next to him.

"You've never seen the king and queen before?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nope. I know you have. Everyone from a clan has seen the king and queen before, but I'm not from a clan so." Naruto trailed off. He took a good look at the young man's tattoos and jewelry which signified his status and ancestry. "You're an Akimichi, aren't you?"

The man smiled. "Akimichi Chouji." He said, offering his hand.

Chouji was tall, chubby and yet muscular with small doe eyes and long brown-red hair. If Naruto stood behind him he would dissapear. If it wasn't for the swirls tattooed on his cheeks and the kind smile on his face he would've been very intimidating.

"Uzumaki Naruto. My fiancée does business with your clan."

"Really?"

"Haruno Sakura? Heard of her?"

Chouji was about to reply when he was sushed by the woman behind him. He nodded instead after scowling at her.

Naruto smiled back. Apparently not all clan members were arrogant snobs. The elders of Konoha talked for about an hour before everyone was ushered into another hall.

But before Naruto could take a good look at it he was tackled by another blond. "Ino! What are you doing here?"

"My family took care of the flower decorations. Isn't it lovely?" Yamanaka Ino, Sakura's best friend since they were five who had the habit of picking out the worst possible boyfriends. "Where is Sakura?"

"With the other guests. Do you know when the king and queen are coming?" He whispered to her.

"They'll be here when the second bell rings. Have a taste of the food while you wait. I'm going to look for Sakura."

"Sure." Naruto smirked as Ino sped off in search of his fiancée.

"Naruto?"

Naruto turned to Chouji. "Yes?"

"Who was that?"

Naruto smirked. "Why?"

Chouji blushed. "No reason. I have a friend waiting for me in the back. Wanna come?"

"Sure!"

Oh yes, after eleven years of pain, the life of Uzumaki Naruto was finally glowing with warmth and victories.

Naruto couldn't stop the goofy smile on his face. He was giddy with excitement. He couldn't wait to see the king and queen, mostly because he knew Hatake Kakashi, the one and only Lone Wolf, would be one of their royal guards.

"You sure know how to pick winners don't you, Chouji." A drawling voice snapped him out of his daze.

The first thing Naruto noticed about the young man in front of him was that he was handsome. Incredibly handsome. But the way he presented himself made it obvious that he couldn't care less about his looks.

He had his spiky dark brown hair in a ponytail, heavy-lidded brown eyes and a cigarette dangling from his lips. A girl with glasses kept glancing at him, but he didn't notice. He seized Naruto up with a calculating gaze.

"Nara Shikamaru."

Naruto blinked. "Uh, Uzumaki Naruto."

Shikamaru didn't offer his hand, but kept staring at him as if he had just been informed that ninety percent of all traitors were blond.

Naruto had a squirmish feeling that Shikamaru knew exactly who he was and what he had inside of him.

But then Shikamaru smirked and signed at them to follow him. "The second bell will be ringing soon. You'll leave a better impression if you're already seated when the king and queen arrive."

Naruto frowned, he shuffled closer to Chouji and whispered, "How does he know that?"

"Huh? Oh, Shikamaru got accepted three years ago. He's just here for his cousin."

"What? But he looks as old as we do."

"He is. He graduated early." Chouji smirked at Naruto's expression. "He's sort of a genius."

"Genius? Really?"

"Yep, he hates it though. Always complains about the amount of missions and assignments he gets. Says he'd rather be at home, playing shogi with his father or Asuma."

Naruto nodded distractedly. "And Asuma is?"

"His former tutor."

"Right. You rich bastards get tutors." Naruto grumbled.

Chouji laughed.

The sound of a bell echoed once more.

Naruto knew something was wrong the moment a dozen royal guards entered the hall with no king or queen in sight. "We're under attack! Warriors to the entrance hall! Everyone else out the back door now!"

"What?" Naruto shouted. He got up and tried to make his way to the entrance hall when Shikamaru pulled him back.

"You're not yet a warrior. You can't fight. You have to run."

"Run?" Naruto shouted. "I can't. My fiancée is out there!"

"Go back!"

"Make me, pretty boy!"

Shikamaru scowled. "Fine. Go and get yourself killed for all I care. Chouji, alert the rest of your cl-"

But Chouji was already gone. And when Shikamaru turned around so was Naruto.

Shikamaru sighed. "Why do I always get stuck with the morons?" He whispered before running towards a nearby royal guard. "Who are we dealing with?"

"Uchiha." The man breathed out.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he felt his heart beat against his ribcage. "Shit."

* * *

Iruka and Sakura struggled to keep their heads above the crowd when a jet of fire sent everyone into a state of panic. People were screaming, cursing and shouting and somewhere behind them there was a child crying for its mother.

Iruka squeezed her eyes shut when the crowd pushed her forwards then backwards, then left then right, before closing in on her, threatening to crush her. Not far from where she and Sakura were standing an elderly man had been pulled down and trampled to death.

"SHUT UP!"

The chaos paused.

On one of the food tables stood a tall, muscular man with silver spiky hair and a mask covering his lower face. His eyes were down turned, heavy lidded and deep black. He glared at them.

"Now, everyone will _calmly_ exit the palace through the door on my right. No pushing."

As people moved towards the exit Sakura grabbed Iruka by the hand and pushed her way in the direction of a legend. Hatake Kakashi, Lone Wolf of Konoha and last living student of world's greatest hero.

"Kakashi!" Sakura shouted when the man turned around to leave. He stopped and turned back. "Wait, sir! My fiancé is in the ceremonial hall!"

"You have to get out of here, miss. It's dangerous."

"But Naruto-"

"Naruto?" Kakashi's visible eye widened. "Uzumaki Naruto?"

Sakura stopped when she made it in front of him. "Y-yes, sir."

Kakashi squinted his eyes in thought. Sakura could practically hear the wheels in his head turning with tremendous speed. "Come!" He shouted, before pointing at a hole caused by a jet of fire.

"_What?_" Iruka managed to gasp. Sakura didn't question him. She was going to follow him, but Iruka held her back. "He's leading us to the enemy!"

"He's leading us to Naruto!" Sakura fired back.

"Correction." Kakashi drawled. "I'm leading you to safety. And then I'm going to look for Naruto _by myself_."

Iruka was about to say something else, but got hauled over the broad shoulder of the silver-haired legend.

"Don't worry, precious. I'm a professional." He said, smirking as she began to struggle.

"Unhand me, you brute!"

"Now, now, don't be difficult." He tutted as he climbed onto the edge of the hole. "My name's Kakashi, by the way. Hatake Kakashi. And you are?" He flinched when she screamed after realizing that he was planning to jump down. "Lovely name." He mumbled.

* * *

Naruto covered his face when more smoke and rubble was blasted his way. He barely had time to think. He had lost track of Chouji and had no idea where he was. He had already witnessed several people burning alive, missing limbs or getting killed with one sudden jet of flames. His heart sank, hoping to all he had that Sakura and Iruka were safe.

He spotted a man with long spiky black hair wearing fine armor, blocking a handsome archway, not far away from him. He was wearing a simple, deep purple kimono with a wide leather belt. The staff he was holding and the rings he wore told Naruto he was a magician. It made him cringe.

Naruto hated magicians.

But when he got closer he realized that he had never seen a magician dressed in such an attire. The strange red and white symbol on his staff was foreign to him. And he didn't seem to fit into any clan Naruto knew.

Then the man turned around.

His eyes were deep red and sinister.

Naruto didn't need a map to know he was looking at an enemy. "Shit!" He growled, jumping out of the way of a fireball. More smoke and rubble came tumbling down on him.

When he opened his eyes he was back in the ceremonial hall. Or rather, what was left of it. This time he stayed low, slowly picking himself up and walking with a crouch. He managed to identify two more people in the smoke once it cleared a little.

One was tall and broad, the other was about the same size as Naruto, and very slender. They were talking to each other in a language he didn't understand. He immediately knew they weren't allies either.

Naruto hid behind a piece of fallen roof when the smoke began to clear completely. Moving carefully he tried to study the two. As soon as he got a good look at them he knew they meant big trouble.

They were royalty. There was no doubt about it. The kimono they wore was worth more than everything Naruto owned put together, including his house. The tall, broad one was a prince, his jewelry said that much. But the small, slender one...

He was the king.

Naruto squinted his eyes to get a better look before nodding. Yes, he was definitely the king. First sign was his kimono. It was much longer than the other's. It dragged across the floor because there were no servants to hold it up. Also, it was made of four different layers.

Despite the expensiveness of the kimono the young man wore it lazily, not caring that the price of it could feed a dozen families. It slid off both shoulders as if it were several sizes too big for him.

Second sign was his jewelry. Jewelry represented wealth and status, and was always visible. Although in each clan and country the same accessory may represent different things, (for one, Naruto had learned that not all crowns were worn on the head. Sometimes a king or queen's 'crown' took the form of a necklace or even a ring) one fact always remained the same everywhere. The more jewery, piercings and tattoos they had, the more power they possessed.

And the person in front of him was covered in silver. Each piece was detailed and majestic. Shining wondrously against the king's pale skin. Even his deep black hair had silver woven into it. And his eyes glistened like rubies.

Naruto blinked before blushing slightly with narrowed eyes.

The king was really pretty, like a girl. But his flat chest, bared by both his carelessness with his kimono and to show the silver, proved he wasn't.

He was about to move to take a better peek at the muscular prince when a hand stopped him. He froze.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" A rough, drawling voice that reminded him of Shikamaru, said.

Confused, Naruto nodded. He turned around when the hand left his shoulder.

"H-Ha-Haa-?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "Hatake Kakashi. Yes, that's me." He put a finger on Naruto's lips when he wanted to speak. "Do have any idea what kind of danger we are in at this moment?"

Eyes still wide in shock, Naruto shook his head.

Kakashi sighed. "Figured as much. Listen, we are being attacked by the Uchiha clan."

"What?" Naruto whispered harshly.

He had heard of the Uchiha clan. They originated from the country, Mangekyo, after which they named one of their signature abilities, but moved to Konoha for some reason Naruto couldn't remember until they were banished for treason. Their story was told as a warning to clans who believed they could get away with everything.

"B-But they have a king." Naruto replied. "Clans don't have kings."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, but they do have leaders. Leaders who can be just as powerful and mighty as a king." Kakashi moved closer. "Those two, who you have been spying on, are the prodigies."

"The what?"

"The prodigies. They're brothers. The two strongest warriors of the Uchiha clan."

"I don't understand."

"Stay away from them, Naruto." Kakashi said. "No matter what the situation is. Stay away from them."

Before Naruto could protest he was silently pulled along to a safer place. "But, hey, I was spying on them."

"No, you weren't."

"But you said-"

"They knew you were there." Naruto froze. "The only reason you are still breathing is because they didn't label you as a threat and because you didn't understand what they were saying."

Naruto swallowed audibly. "And you did?"

"Some of it. They're after something in the palace." Kakashi murmured as he led Naruto through debris and dead bodies. "But I can't think of anything that is of any value to them here."

Naruto listened intently as Kakashi proceeded to think out loud. The mere presence of the man was enough to send giant bursts of adrenalin through his veins.

He cursed when he stumbled over a broken statue. He smiled sheepishly at Kakashi who rolled his eyes and continued. As Naruto got up he suddenly got a bad feeling in his stomach.

As if he knew, he turned his head left and saw the slender Uchiha from earlier walk towards the memorial hall.

The hall where the last remnants of his father slept.

Naruto didn't stop to think. He ran after the slender Uchiha, half-hearing Kakashi curse and follow him.

He wasn't exactly quiet while pursuing, yet it was only when Naruto was a few feet away, preparing to tackle him that the Uchiha moved. He barely registered the hand that shot out of the decorated kimono sleeve, grabbed him by the neck and pushed him down, head first, into the floor.

Kakashi shouted his name. But his voice faded out. The Uchiha did not stop walking, his footsteps echoing throughout the hall.

The sound boomed in his ear. He felt his nose break upon contact with the marble surface. The tender flesh of his lips was crushed between his teeth and the floor. His knuckles skitted across the walls, causing burn wounds. Tears of pain sprung from his eyes.

But it had been the humiliation of the easy defeat that hurt him the most. Seconds ago he had been sure that he had the Uchiha.

"Naruto? You _stupid boy_, are you alright?"

Naruto managed to lift his head. His eyes met the blurry image of a magnificent kimono walking towards giant oak doors. "Ah, faber's meborial roob." Naruto said through his bleeding nose and throbbing lips.

The hand on his back stiffened. "Is that where he's going?" Kakashi whispered. The strong grip returned, forcing Naruto back onto his feet.

"Follow me."

"Whab?" Naruto raised his eyebrows. "He wen tha way!" He shouted pointing in the other direction.

"Going after him ourselves is out of the question. We might as well stab ourselves in the heart. It will produce the same results. We're going to get backup first."

"No. Ib will be ib ruins by theb." Without waiting for an answer Naruto ran off again.

He didn't have to look behind him to know Kakashi was following. When he reached his father's memorial room the grand entrance doors were already open.

Standing in front of the tapestry was the slender Uchiha. He was looking around the room.

Naruto closed in carefully, ignoring Kakashi's heated whispers. He was about to attack again when the Uchiha suddenly fired a jet of blue flames towards the tapestry.

"No!" Naruto saw red. He shot towards the Uchiha, but he missed, landing on his face once more. He got back up, growling as he did so, and scanned the room.

"Behind you!" Kakashi shouted.

Naruto turned around just in time to see the Uchiha's pretty face disappear and reappear further away from him. Naruto had never seen anyone move that fast, but at the moment he didn't care.

All he cared about in his thirst was to see the Uchiha bleed. But there was a hand stopping him. He barely heard Kakashi whisper things into his ear.

He was right there. And he couldn't do anything because of the bastard behind him. Without warning he rammed his elbow into Kakashi's stomach. He didn't miss the slight smile that crossed the Uchiha's face when he did so.

He was closing in fast. Faster than usual. He could see those ruby eyes widen slightly before they disappeared once more.

Naruto slammed into the burning tapestry and straight into the wall behind it. The beam holding it up broke in two and the whole thing collapsed.

A deep, growling chuckle was all Naruto heard before his world turned black with rage.

000

_Chapter II – Demon Lullaby_

Kakashi instantly knew that the person in front of him was no longer Naruto. And, by the looks of it, so did the Uchiha.

The Uchiha clicked his tongue, unbothered by the change. His interest went towards the small vault that had been hidden from view by the giant tapestry.

He realized that standing in-between the two of them would surely get him killed, no matter by whom. But if he didn't do something the Uchiha would most likely burn Naruto to ashes as he was in the way.

"Naruto?"

Kakashi turned around. It was Naruto's fiancée. "Don't move! That's not Naruto!"

"What are you talking about? Of course that's Naru- _Aaah!_"

Naruto had launched himself at Sakura. Kakashi cursed, knowing he wouldn't be fast enough to save her.

Sakura screamed as she barely managed to dodge the ferocious attack. "Na-Naruto?"

"I told you, that's not Naruto!"

"Then who the hell is he? Where's Naruto?" Sakura shouted, visibly upset.

Kakashi didn't answer. He grabbed the pink-haired girl by the wrist, more roughly than he intended, and fled from the room.

"Wait! Naruto!"

"Your precious Naruto was going to kill you!" Kakashi shouted once they had stopped. He quickly regretted it when the young woman's eyes began to water. "That was _not_ Naruto, alright. He-"

"He what?" Sakura pressed, rather nervously.

Kakashi was suddenly very much aware of the fact that Sakura didn't know that her fiancé had a demon sealed inside of him. Although most people her age and younger were unaware of this, and bullied him solely because everyone else did, he had thought that she, of all people, would know.

But, apparently, Naruto had kept it secret in fear of her reaction. Kakashi sighed. "He was possessed."

"_Possessed?_" Sakura schreeched. "By what? Who?"

"The Uchiha was controlling him. That's why his eyes were red." Kakashi lied smoothly.

Naruto had a reason for keeping the demon secret from the woman he loved. Kakashi was not going to be the one to tell her. It was the least he could do for Naruto at the moment.

And the gods themselves knew he owed Minato.

* * *

Naruto heard his heart beating in his chest and every breath he took echo in his ears as he stood stiff in a dark dungeon-like hallway.

Did he fall?

Had the floor collapsed?

No, for some reason Naruto knew he wasn't in Konoha anymore. Something in the air was different. It was thick, hot and menacing. So much so that he needed a suprising amount of effort not to choke on it.

There was water at his feet, but it felt like acid. It tingled his skin unpleasantly as if it were slowly melting his flesh. The mere thought sent shivers down his back.

He forced himself to move, despite his fear.

Every step he took was met with a ferocious blood-soaked force that both pushed him back and pulled him forwards. A snarling sound suddenly errupted from the end of the hallway accompanied by a wave of unbearable, scratchy heat.

But instead of arousing his fear to the point of paralysis it made his steps more determined. There was a lure in that growl that Naruto couldn't quite comprehend. The mere sound of it scrambled his brain up, suddenly turning thought into a useless ability.

It wasn't until a powerful, sizzling breath hit him that he saw the massive creature in front of him. Even its nails were bigger than Naruto.

"A fox?" Naruto stared at it as it rubbed its gigantic head against the iron bars imprisoning it. His heart tightened painfully, the sight reminding him of a past he'd rather forget. And for a moment he felt sorry for the creature.

But then it became aware of Naruto's presence and looked down. A smirk spread across its face. Naruto froze, his heart inflated inside of his ribs and every cell in his body screamed at him to run away.

But something stopped him.

The smirk was dark, so dark and sinister that Naruto could almost feel the darkness creep up his skin, trying to find a way into his head. But there was something else, something that swept away the fear and bred an unusual safe and familiar feeling within him.

"You." It breathed in a deep, growling voice that made Naruto's hair stand up. "Finally, you are here. You see me. You listen."

Naruto couldn't even nod, couldn't even breathe.

"You know who I am." It said, almost gently. "You know my name. Speak it."

A shiver ran down his spine, but he still couldn't catch his breathe. "Kyuubi." Naruto whispered.

"Yes." It made a strange move, as if it had wanted to nudge him lovingly with its nose through the bars. "Welcome to my cage, my prison."

Naruto abrubtly shook his head. "No, n-no, you're sealed away. You..." He trailed off, crumbling under the demon's intense stare.

"I am a part of you." It said, "I love you, Naruto."

Something inside of him shattered into a million pieces. Against his wishes, a tear escaped from his eye.

The demon stopped smirking. Its eyes softened. "Do not cry, little one. Do not cry. I love you."

Naruto wanted to call it a liar, but he knew it was telling the truth. He had felt it before. It had comforted him, it had sung him to sleep, it had loved him when no one else had. Long before he met Iruka.

"Let me help you. Let me soothe you. Let me take away all your painful rage and childish fears." The demon purred. "Let me bear it for you."

Naruto swayed forwards as if hypnotized. He staggered through the giant iron bars and collapsed against a massive paw. It was hot, so very hot – the heat threatening to steal the breath from his lungs and boil him alive.

But he didn't care.

He was home.


	2. Chapter 2

Name – Goddess

Genre – Romance/ Dark Romance/ Adventure/ Drama/ Fantasy

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Iruka, Fem-Neji, Violence, Language

Chapter Pairings – NaruSaku, JiraTsu, (Slight) KakaIru

000

LilithMorrigan_ – Thank you for the support. And you reviewed first! Kudos! _

Emmisary of Despair_ – Aw, thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well._

All the people who faved and alerted, but didn't review_ – You didn't read the author's note in the first chapter, did you?_

Enjoy.

000

_Chapter III – __Shades of Grey_

Naruto woke up against his will, to the sound of someone calling his name. His vision was blurry, his mouth dry and every inch of his body ached. "Water." He croaked.

A bottle was pressed to his lips. It wasn't water, but whatever it was, it also helped lessen the bone-deep ache. Naruto blinked several times, trying to get a clearer image. "Chouji?"

"Hey."

"What happened?" Naruto wheezed.

"I'm not sure. I found you like this." Chouji replied quickly, "C'mon, Naruto, you have to get up. This place is falling apart."

Naruto groaned when he tried to move. His body fiercely protesting against it.

"_Can_ you move?"

Naruto managed to turn. "Who are you?"

The warrior smiled. "Rock Lee."

Naruto squinted his eyes, forcing his mind to keep his vision clear. But he couldn't quite see him. He gave up and closed his eyes again. "No. I can barely talk." He huffed.

Chouji frowned. "Shit, that's bad. We need to get you to a hospital."

"I'll carry him." Lee offered.

Naruto didn't even protest when he was hosted onto a broad shoulder with ease. He managed to keep himself in check for two minutes before he lost consciousness once again.

"-is that what you're saying?" A deep male voice said disbelievingly. He sounded familiar. Kakashi?

"Yes. There is no other explanation. He must have kept fighting, on and on, until his body collapsed from exhaustion." A female voice answered. He couldn't quite place her.

"Idiot. He's lucky to be alive." Sounded like Shikamaru.

"You wouldn't have acted any different if you had been in his place, Shikamaru." Kakashi replied irritably.

"Wanna bet?"

"Alright, break it up, you two. We're in a hospital." Was that... Iruka?

"He's going to be alright, right, Shizune?" And Sakura too.

"He'll be fine, but he's going to have to stay in bed for two weeks at least." Naruto frowned when the sentence was followed by deafening crash. Was the battle still going on?

'_Of course, little one.'_ Naruto jerked slightly in surprise.

"K-Kyuubi?" He mumbled, his throat raw and dry.

'_I__ am here.'_ It purred. '_I am always here.'_

"The..battle... is..." Naruto coughed, the action sending needles into his bones.

'_Do not talk. Just think. I will listen, little one. I will hear.'_

'_Is the battle still on?'_

'_Yes, and it is taking more and more victims by the second.' _Naruto could feel the smirk on its lips as it continued, _'If only you were not locked up in this room. You could be their hero.'_

'_Hero?__ No, I'm weak. My body-'_

'_You are _not_ weak.' _Kyuubi hissed. _'Do not listen to them. They do not understand. They never do. Only I understand you. I have felt your pain. I have cried your tears.'_

Naruto squirmed under the thin hospital sheets. _'But my body aches.'_

'_I will heal all your pain.' _Kyuubi said as heat engulfed him. _'I love you, little one.'_

Naruto shivered before clutching his mouth to keep himself from screaming. It felt like the heat was burning away his bones and the pain increased with a nauseating speed.

'_K-Kyuubi!' _

'_Be strong, little one.'_

The pain stopped, but almost immediately after he felt his body getting pumped up with an almost agonizingly potent energy and vast bursts of adrenalin. He jerked upright, unable to hold still. His muscles pounded.

Naruto shot out of bed, his body seemingly moving on its own. When he opened his eyes the world had lost its color. Everything was in shades of grey. But he was also intensely aware of every detail in the room.

'_Kyuubi, what's going on?'_

'_You are experiencing the world through my eyes now, little one.' _Kyuubi said. Naruto did not miss the eagerness in its voice. _'This is my power.'_

Naruto panted as he walked, on all fours, towards the window. Everything was so clear. He had never seen Konoha this vividly before.

A loud bang caught his attention. It felt like a cannon had been fired near his ear and yet he knew it came from somewhere far away. _'The palace.'_

'_Seize your chance, little one!' _Kyuubi growled.

Naruto smirked. He could feel the wondrous demon instincts - instincts warriors would sell their soul for - guide him. He climbed through the window.

Naruto whooped as he ran through Konoha with an unbelievable speed. He felt invincible. He was running so fast that everything was a blur and yet he could _see everything_.

He was almost at the palace's gate when he saw two familiar figures jump over the high fences. The prodigies. They had deciphered the lock on the vault.

'_Follow them!'_ Kyuubi roared. Naruto turned with ease despite his speed. _'Do not let them see you. Stay undetected.'_

Naruto moved precisely, prowling like an animal, still on all fours, as he followed the prodigies out of Konoha. They moved fast. Incredibly fast. Almost, _almost_ too fast.

His muscles throbbed with strain. But it was a kind of pain that felt good, satisfying even. He loved it. He could get addicted to this feeling. Kyuubi laughed in his head, deep and animalistic. It urged him on. At that moment nothing mattered to him, but the feeling of immortality.

After running for two hours and forty minutes straight, Naruto's still pumped body protested when he stopped moving.

'_Take it all in, little one. Every detail.' _Kyuubi hissed.

Naruto nodded dumbly. He had heard of the Uchihas before. Everyone in Konoha knew of them. Especially clan members. Their story was told in hopes of preventing other clans from making the same mistakes.

But as he studied the village, the city, in front of him, he suddenly realized there were several chapters missing in the pages of history.

'_You have been lied to your entire life, little one.' _Kyuubi said. _'Are you truly surprised?'_

Naruto clenched his fists. _'Another lie, huh?'_

'_The Uchihas are the most powerful clan in the world since the Senju clan died out. One of the few clans in the world who could stand on their own without the help of a country or kingdom. They are rich, talented and frighteningly intelligent. Do you honestly believe they would have risked an attack on Konoha if they weren't?'_

'_And the prodigies are the strongest two of the clan.'_ Naruto added, trying to ignore the building rage Kyuubi was fueling. _'How do you know all this?'_

'_I share my age with the world, little one. I know everything.'_

Naruto nodded while scanning the city for something akin to a palace. _'I just need to find out where they sleep. Konoha will have an advan-'_

Kyuubi interrupted with a snort. _'Konoha is wounded. They could not even hold against the Uchihas in their own territory with full strength.' _The demon continued with a purr. _'Imagine taking out the greatest threat since the Tailed Beasts. The whole world will bow at your feet. You will become legendary.'_

Naruto felt panic rise in his stomach. _'I can't take them on by myself.'_

'_You are not by yourself. You have me.' _Kyuubi pressed. _'I am all you need. Do you not feel my power? Use it, little one. Use it and become legendary. Avenge the memory of your proud father.'_

Naruto opened his mouth, unsure of whether he should argue or comply, but stopped when he realized the church he was looking at wasn't a church at all. It was the palace. They disguised it, the clever bastards.

He watched the prodigies enter, the magician he had seen before was with them as well. They were talking, but he couldn't understand a word of it.

'_They are discussing the battle results.'_ Kyuubi said.

'_You know what they're saying?'_

'_I know everything, little one.'_ Kyuubi repeated. _'They do not suspect an assault. Not for at least another month. That is why you should attack at dark. When they are sleeping. Prepare yourself for battle, little one. We shall be victorious.'_

000

_Chapter IV – One Hundred Lies_

Naruto waited for two hours while exploring the outskirts of the city, searching for the best and safest way inside. He made sure to stay out of sight and discovered that there was an unprotected opening on the east side of the city. On the left side of the palace.

Despite the energy pumping through his body, prowling through the city was easy. Like he was made for it. Instincts teaching him better than any class ever did. Kyuubi leading him like a warrior brain with a separate consciousness.

He was almost touching the palace walls when a sound caught him by surprise. He stood still, frozen in position for severals seconds. _'A baby?'_

'_Concentrate! Do not let yourself be distracted.'_ Kyuubi growled.

'_But, it's a baby. The aphrodite plague was eleven years ago. There hasn't been a baby since.' _Naruto's eyes widened in wonder. _'A baby, Kyuubi. They have fertile women. At least one. This is wonderful.'_

Kyuubi sniffed. _'You can search for the woman after we take over the clan.'_

'_But we might accidentally kill her.' _Naruto said, trying to find out where the noise had come from. Soon enough, he was looking through a window, staring in amazement at how an elderly woman soothed what was definitely a baby.

'_There are two.'_ Kyuubi told him.

'_Two?'_

'_Twins. A boy and a girl. And there is another young boy sleeping in one of the rooms. About four years old.'_

'_You can smell that or what?'_

'_I could already smell them on the outskirts.' _Kyuubi snapped defensively.

'_And you didn't tell me?'_

'_How was I to know you are more interested in chubby, little creatures than a victory that could make you king?'_

'_Kyuubi! The world will die out without fertile women. This is a very important discovery. We should return.'_

'_No! You will never get a chan__ce like this again. Attack them! Wipe them out!' _Kyuubi raged. _'Slaughter them! Let their blood soak the earth!'_

Naruto shivered as he felt bloodlust rise from his stomach. Steeling himself, he waited for the nanny to leave, ignoring the demon's furious rants and climbed inside.

Even Kyuubi went silent when Naruto leaned over to take a look at the twins. Naruto had never seen a real baby. He had seen pictures and heard stories, but they were almost like some sort of mythical creature these days. The symbol of innocence, the heroes of the future.

'_They're beautiful.' _Naruto gasped, staring in awe at the pudgy, little people. They were looking at him as well.

And then one of them, the boy, pointed at him and smiled. He giggled and held up his tiny arms.

'_Do not touch them!' _Kyuubi growled jealously.

Naruto didn't even hear it. He gently put his arms around the little boy and held him to his chest. He giggled again, chubby hands trying to grab his nose. He was so small, so tender, so fragile. So magical.

'_I'm taking him with me.'_

'_What?'_

'_We're going back.' _Naruto said as he climbed back out of the window, the baby still in his arms.

'_No!'_

Naruto opened his mouth, ready with a retort, but froze in shock when he realized someone was standing in front of him.

"You better have a really good reason for this, Uzumaki Naruto." Shikamaru said, his eyes narrowed and lips set in a tight line.

Kakashi, unlike Shikamaru, had his eyes fixed on the baby in his arms.

"Is that.." He trailed off, silently coming closer. "Where did you find it?"

"Him." Naruto corrected automatically. "He's a boy."

"Put him back." Shikamaru and Kakashi said at the same time.

"What? Why?" Naruto snapped, unconsciously holding the baby tighter against his chest.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Because, stupid, if they find out he's gone they will immediately suspect Konoha and it's all the reason they did to burn it to the ground."

'_Listen to him.' _Kyuubi snarled.

"Don't call me stupid." Naruto hissed.

Shikamaru glared at him. "Then stop acting stupid."

'_Do not let him provoke you. Just do as he says.'_

Kakashi stepped forward. "Give him to me. I'll put him back."

Kyuubi growled, bristling at the closeness, suddenly suspicious. Naruto studied the Lone Wolf. Something wasn't right. "No."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "No?" He repeated, his voice low and dangerous.

Naruto straightened his shoulders. "I'll bring him back myself."

Kakashi and Shikamaru exchanged a look. "Did you see the mother?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, but she lives in the palace." Naruto said. _'Doesn't she?'_

'_Yes. And she is very well protected.' _

Shikamaru furrowed his brow. He eyed Naruto with the same calculating expression he had on his face the first time they met. Naruto decided he didn't like Shikamaru. At all. "Right. We'll discuss this back at Konoha"

"Yes." Kakashi said, slowly, still looking at Naruto. His face expressionless. "We will. Return the baby, Naruto."

Naruto looked at both of them, back and forth, trying to figure out what they were thinking. He gave up after Kakashi cleared his throat impatiently and did as he was told.

Naruto did not like the atmosphere. It was tense and full of suspicion. Kyuubi didn't help. The demon snarled whenever Kakashi came too close and Naruto could feel the glare it fixed on Shikamaru whenever he looked at him.

It was more than obvious that Naruto's actions would be addressed. He would be interrogated, most likely – kept close until every drop of information was sucked out of him. It made his back stiffen with tension and apprehension.

'_Yes, Konoha is going to lock you away again.' _Kyuubi said, sounding both compassionate and accusative. _'Because you did not listen. I had warned you. Did you really think Konoha was going to welcome you with open arms if you had returned with nothing but a baby and the promise of destruction by the hands of the Uchiha?'_

Naruto didn't answer. But the bitter rage inside of him flared in took all of his willpower not to shake in fury as the guards let them through the gates of Konoha. He made sure to keep a certain distance from Shikamaru and Kakashi as they led him to the palace.

Naruto was shocked when the state of the once majestic building almost made him smirk.

'_Konoha only loves heroes and legends, little one. You could have become one, if you had listened.' _Kyuubi purred, dangerously. _'I love you, little one. Konoha does not.'_

'_My father was the greatest hero of all times. He was loved by the entire world. Why won't they love me?' _Naruto hissed, half in sorrow, half in anger. _'I try, don't I? I'm willing to die for Konoha.'_

Kyuubi huffed. _'Konoha will never love you. They might praise you, they might thank you, they might look up to you, but they will never love you. As the demon child, you are expected to live, even if it is just to bear their hatred. As a hero, you will be expected to die, a mere sacrifice for strangers.' _

Naruto clenched his fists, a snarl nearly escaping his lips. _'Is that what my father was? The king of _sacrifices_?'_

Kyuubi smirked. _'That is why you must conquer Konoha. Let them praise you, let them look up to you.'_ The smirk deepened. _'Let them crawl for you. Let them bark like dogs. Payment for the pain. It is only fair.'_

"Bow to the king and queen." A royal guard barked, jerking Naruto back into reality.

His jaw tightened at the sight in front him.

Mere hours ago, he had thought these two were akin to gods. Heroes, like his father had been. But now...

Now, he loathed them.

It couldn't have been more clearer that the man and woman in front of him were royalty.

Queen Tsunade, dressed in the finest robes, her blond hair and healthy skin decorated with gold, handsome servants bathing her feet while people were dying and starving on the streets. The crown jewel on her forehead seemed to mock him.

King Jiraiya, dressed in silk pants and a velvet cloak, body toned and decorated, being fed by pretty maids as the rest of Konoha suffered and shed tears. The lines of rubies under his eyes were laughing at him.

With a fake smile, Naruto bowed. "Your majesties."

They nodded at him. "Report." Queen Tsunade said shortly.

Kakashi stepped forward. "We tracked Naruto and stumbled upon the Uchiha's city."

"City?" King Jiraiya repeated, eyes wide. "They have a city?"

Kakashi nodded. "A relatively large one. Around eight hundred thousand inhabitants."

"Eight hundred thousand?" King Jiraiya breathed, shocked.

"We suspect there to be more." Kakashi continued. "We found several abandoned camps on the way. All of them were big enough to hold up to five thousand warriors."

"And how many camps were there in total?"

"We found seven, but we suspect there to be more located elsewhere around the city and maybe even in other countries."

"Sweet Kami." Queen Tsunade breathed. "How is that possible? There were only thirteen hundred Uchihas when we banished them from Konoha."

King Jiraiya murmured something. "It was always suspected that not the entire clan had left Mangekyo. That only a small portion moved to Konoha. It seems our suspicions were right. They recruited the rest of their clan from Mangekyo and became an entirely separate civilization. All in all, it means we're up against at least a hundred thousand of world's greatest warriors. Continue."

"The city was silent. They probably believed they wouldn't be attacked or infiltrated so soon after the attack. However, otherwise it would have been heavily protected with strong defenses. We counted at least four hundred guard towers. Most of them on the edges of the city, but several scattered around as well. There is a magic tower in centre. Based on the amount of magic force surrounding it, it could be used for anything – teleportation, invisibility, forcefields, etc. There is a moat surrounding the entire city."

"Moat?"

"It was filled with oil, not water." Kakashi nodded. "Wall of flames. A defensive, protective strategy the Uchiha clan uses. They dig a connecting river around the area they wish to protect and fill it with oil. If the area is threatened they set it on fire, creating a magnificent wall of flames. It will prevent enemies from entering the area."

"But due to their immunity to heat they remain unaffected." Shikamaru mumbled softly. "That's brilliant."

"Fire doesn't work on fire masters?" Naruto wondered out loud accidentally. The question was actually meant for Kyuubi, but he caught the attention of Shikamaru instead.

Shikamaru looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't you learn this in class?"

"I'm not swimming in money, you know. I couldn't afford all of them." Naruto snapped back softly.

Shikamaru sighed. "No, not all fire masters are unaffected by their own element. It's just one of the things the Uchiha clan is famous for. They are the greatest fire masters in the world. It's one of the main reasons as to why they're so powerful."

"Why?" Naruto pressed.

"Fire is the most destructive element in the world." Shikamaru said with a frown. "It is the only element that only destroys."

"Fire creates heat."

"No, fire is the heat. It doesn't create it." Shikamaru leaned in closer. "The Uchihas are also the only ones who can control colored fire. But so far, the only ones who've completely mastered it are the prodigies "

"Colored fire being?"

"Blue fire is almost twice as hot as red fire. Green fire only burns living beings. Purple fire only burns the skin. White fire instantly incinerates anything in its path. Black fire never goes out."

"Black fire never goes out?" Naruto repeated with wide eyes.

Shikamaru shook his head in confirmation. "Nope. And no amount of water or soil can put it out either. It will burn forever until it's master dies or orders it to stop. It's one of the prodigies' favorite colors, if you know what I mean. Especially the older one, I've heard."

"If you're done tutoring Naruto, I'd like to finish my report without distractions." Kakashi said.

"Forgive me." Shikamaru said with a bow. Naruto bowed as well though he did not feel sorry in the least.

"Uzumaki Naruto." The queen said after Kakashi finished.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You found a baby?" Queen Tsunade asked him.

"Yes, I did."

'_Do not tell them everything, little one.'_

"Just one?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, just one."

"Did you see the mother?"

"No."

"Do have a clue as to who the mother might be?" King Jiraiya continued.

"No, I don't. I only saw one woman and she was too old."

"Are you certain?" King Jiraiya pressed. "You were not under the impression that she was disguised by magic or an ability?"

"No."

"Are able to recognize someone disguised by magic?" Queen Tsunade added.

"I've had the training, Your Highness." Naruto answered.

The queen nodded. "Was the baby a girl?"

Naruto frowned. "Does it matter?"

"Don't be rude!" Shikamaru snapped. Naruto glared at him.

"It does, actually." King Jiraiya answered. "If it was a girl there is a high possibility that she is fertile as well."

Naruto couldn't stop his eyes from narrowing. "Excuse me for asking, but were you planning on experimenting on the baby if it was a girl?"

"Experimenting?" Queen Tsunade repeated with wide eyes. "What on earth gave you that idea?"

"I read the news. You have dozens of scientists and magicians seeking a cure for our women's infertility, using female animals."

Queen Tsunade's eyes softened. "That isn't true."

"What?" Shikamaru interrupted. He seemed genuinely shocked.

"It's a lie." King Jiraiya repeated. "We knew for years that it couldn't be cured. We've tried everything. We've worked with animals, plants, even dead bodies. Nothing worked."

Naruto tried to steady himself as he spoke. "So you lied?"

"Yes." King Jiraiya said, seemingly unbothered. "To put the minds of our people at ease. To give them hope."

"False hope." Naruto hissed. "What else have you been lying about?"

"Manners, Naruto. You are still adressing the rulers of our country." Kakashi snapped.

Queen Tsunade gave Naruto a soft smile. "Sometimes, a lie is nessecary. Would you have prefered to grow up into a world of panic, mayhem and distress? It was to keep everyone calm."

"I grew up in confinement, beaten and punished for something I couldn't help." Naruto answered flatly.

Queen Tsunade flinched. It was only when the king and queen exchanged a peculiar look did Naruto realize why.

'_Calm yourself. If your eyes flash red again, they will know of me. They will lock you away again.'_

"I'm sorry." The queen said, after a minute. "But it was for the good of the village."

"The good of the village." Naruto whispered disbelievingly. "Right, stupid me." He looked at Shikamaru as he said the last bit.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything as Naruto passed him. No one did, even though he hadn't completed his report.

000

_Chapter V __– Master Element_

Kakashi sighed as he stood on top of Konoha's magic tower.

Things had been bad between Naruto and Sakura since the attack. They unintentionally kept hurting each other's feelings. Naruto kept trying to avoid Sakura as much as he could, even going as far as to fake illness to get away from her so she wouldn't find out. Sakura, on the other hand, tried very hard to spend more time with Naruto, to get his attention and reasurrance, and had cried herself to sleep ever since he returned.

It was both sad and dangerous.

Sakura might not know what was going on, but she did know something was wrong with Naruto. Even his adoptive mother, who had only managed to catch Naruto once after the attack, realized something was off. The waitress had immediately cornered Kakashi and demanded an explanation.

Kakashi could handle fierce, buxom brunettes. He could not, however, handle crying, buxom brunettes. Especially not when they had large doe eyes with long lashes that blinked up at him and held more innocence than a newborn puppy. Kakashi had been forced to stutter out an exuse to leave before he said something he would regret.

He sighed again.

Things were going to complicated from now on.

There were not a lot of people who knew exactly why Naruto had been treated differently from the other demon children. Most believed it was because Kyuubi was the most powerful and dangerous of all Tailed Beasts so they wanted to make sure that it wouldn't escape somehow.

They were wrong.

The seal was perfect. There was no chance in hell that it could escape. Because the seal had not bound Kyuubi into Naruto's body, it had bound the demon into his very soul. Thus, if Naruto died, Kyuubi would vanish along with him along with all of its power.

Many people did not like that idea. One of those people was a man named Danzo.

Danzo, who collected scientists, doctors and magicians from all over the world to prevent the demon's power from slipping through his fingers.

However, Minato had been too clever. Even Danzo's team of experts could not find a way to break or even change the seal. So they decided to give Naruto a seal of their own. One that would melt their souls together so precisely that only Kyuubi's power would leak through the seal.

But they had made a fatal mistake. A mistake that had allowed the demon's conscience to leak through as well. Panicked, the team blamed Naruto for their stupidity and attempted to murder him.

Only, Naruto survived due to Kyuubi's power.

But at what costs?

The body was not meant to carry two free souls. It would only be a matter of time before Naruto started to think and act more and more like the demon until their souls melted together completely.

And then what?

'_So the Uchihas have special fire powers?'_ Naruto asked the demon.

Kyuubi sniffed. _'Listen carefully, little one. Each clan of element manipulators have unique abilities regarding their element. Not all element manipulators with the same element have the same ability. The Uchiha clan are the only people in the world who are naturally immune to fire. The only ones capable of controlling colored fire. The only ones capable of controlling all kinds of fire – fire made by humans, fire made by magic, fire made by nature. Not all fire masters can do that. They are the greatest fire masters in the world for a reason.'_

'_And fire is the most destructive of all elements.'_

'_Indeed. And several of the more powerful and talented ones possess a second element. Their leader, the slender Uchiha, unlocked the lightning element. Both which are considerably effective against wind.'_

'_Wind?'_

'_That is your element, little one. At least, one of them.'_

'_I have more?' _Naruto questioned, feeling excited.

'_Wind is __only your primary element. Holy is your secondary element. You have your mother to thank for that.'_

'_I've never heard of the holy element.'_

'_That is because it is extremely rare and dangerous.'_

'_Dangerous?'_

'_Normal elements are fed by energy. Each element requires certain characteristics in energy in order to "survive". That is why one person cannot possess all elements. The energy that powers the normal elements is basically your stamina. The same energy that allows you to blink, walk, fight.'_

'_But the holy element works differently?' _Naruto asked.

'_The holy element feeds on your life force.'_

'_What?'_

'_Your will to liv__e, your reason to be, your survival instincts. That is what powers the holy element.'_ Kyuubi smirked, _'Now you see why it is so rare. Even those gifted with it hardly ever use it in fear of the consequences.'_

'_Damn it.'_

'_Do not worry, little one. You have me to share the burden. And your life force is potent enough by itself to satisfy the holy element.' _Kyuubi's smirk widened. _'Now, let us talk about _my_ elements.'_

Naruto fought to keep a straight face. _'Your elements, huh?'_

'_Indeed. The hades element is the most feared element for a reason. Regular humans cannot possess it. But you are no ordinaire human now, are you?' _Kyuubi chuckled and flicked its nine tails in excitement. _'The hades element feeds on the life force of others.'_

A small portion of Naruto's mind froze in horror at that, but it was quickly diminished as soon as the demon continued.

'_Holy and hades are known as the two master elements. No other being in existence has ever possessed both. With these combined elements you will be able to do things not even magic can accomplish.'_

Naruto didn't reply, eagerly waiting for more.

'_Oh, and of course there is a little, unique __talent I only possess that you have excess to now as well.'_

'_Well? What is it?'_

'_It does not have a name, but I suppose "disaster summoning" suits it.' _Kyuubi purred. _'Storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, eruptions. Imagine the destruction, the power. I am afraid that it will be more difficult to control than the others because it was meant for my demon body, but I am confident that we will find a way around that little obstacle.'_

Naruto smirked, one that was eerily similar to that of the demon inside of him. _'What were the Uchihas' abilities again? I forgot.'_ He thought sarcastically.

Kyuubi roared with laughter. _'Once you have polished your skills not even the gods will be a match for us.'_

It was early in the morning that Naruto got a visit from a royal guard named Genma telling him that he has an appointment with the king and queen in one hour. It didn't take long to get dressed. He had been awake the entire night, talking to Kyuubi.

Kyuubi did not like his fiancée and told him so at every opportunity. Naruto had first thought that it was because the demon hated everyone close to him, but he was wrong. Kyuubi seemed to like Iruka just fine.

'_The woman is weak.' _Kyuubi had told him. _'Her pitiful emotions and clingy ways are proof of that. Someone so weak will only cause you pain.'_

'_Iruka is emotional as well.' _Naruto had pointed out.

'_But she is not your mate. She raised you. It is her job to look after your vulnerability.'_

A week after the attack, Naruto was shocked when he caught himself thinking horrible things about Sakura, thinking her a pathetic excuse for a woman.

Once, the sight of her crying called forth a protectiveness and anger to whoever or whatever had caused it. Now, he hated her for it, barely fighting back the urge to yell at her to get a grip, pull herself together.

It scared him.

He had tried to talk to her about things at dinner after that. But found himself unable to say a single word. He had watched her the whole time, noting her weight loss, the bags under her eyes, the unhealthy color of her skin. And again, he found himself calling her pathetic.

He had excused himself half-way through dinner, feighning illness. The mere sight of her made his blood boil. Why? Those tears were for him. Because she loved him.

'_Would she cry for you if she knew?'_ Kyuubi hissed, unhelpfully. _'Do not feel sorry for her. If she loved you the way she was supposed to, she would not cry. She would be strong for you.'_

Naruto didn't know what to think anymore. He was confused. There was a time when Sakura was akin to an angel in his eyes. What happened?

"Your majesties." Naruto said as he bowed. His body stiffening automatically at the sight of them.

They nodded in greeting. King Jiraiya turned to Kakashi. "You are aware of your mission, Hatake Kakashi?"

'_Mission? Royal guards __do not go missions.'_

'_They reinstated him. Do not act surprised. For something as important as this it is only natural they picked the one most fitted for the task.'_

"I am, Your Highness."

"Choose your team."

Kakashi stepped forward. He was no longer wearing the armor of the royal guard. Naruto sucked in his breath. The Lone Wolf was back.

"Rock Lee. Hyuuga Neji. Nara Shikamaru."

'_He did not choose me.'_

'_You do not need his permission to pursue the Uchiha clan. You make your own rules now, little one.__ Remember that.'_

"Uzumaki Naruto, you will give Kakashi and his team everything they need to know to complete their mission, understood?"

"Yes, You Highness." Naruto fidgeted. "If I may, I have a question."

"Ask away." Queen Tsunade said.

"Why am I not included in the mission? And is a four man team all you are sending?"

"No. There are three teams. Each have a different assignment coupled to the same mission." King Jiraiya answered. "You were not chosen for the fact that you have ignored orders and put the kingdom at risk with reckless actions. We do not doubt your loyalty, but we cannot afford to make mistakes."

"So you are saying I'm incompetent?" Naruto asked slowly, trying to stay respectful. But it was difficult.

"Not at all." Queen Tsunade interfered, giving her husband a sideways glare. "We are simply saying that you don't have the experience required for the mission."

"Experience I will never have if you do not allow me to leave Konoha." Naruto fired back. "I believe I can be a valuable asset to the team."

Shikamaru snorted.

Naruto glared at him. "You have something to say to me, Nara?"

"I do, actually." Shikamaru drawled. "So far all you've proven to have that can be seen as 'valuable' is a vast amount of luck. Other than that you have shown us no talent, ability or anything else that could be useful."

Naruto resisted the urge to sock him in the jaw. "I have super senses. I can see, hear and smell things normal people cannot."

"So can Inuzuka amazons and zoanthropes." Shikamaru said, unimpressed.

"What?"

"Surely, you've heard of them?" Queen Tsunade said with raised eyebrows.

"I have heard of amazons. Not specifically the Inuzuka amazons." Naruto replied. "But I've never heard of zoanthropes."

"They are the most powerful race of our planet. How can you not know them?" Shikamaru retorted.

Choosing to ignore Shikamaru, Naruto aimed the question at Kakashi. "I thought the Uchihas were the most powerful?"

Kakashi shook his head. "The Uchihas are the most powerful _clan_ in the world, Naruto. Not the most powerful race nor tribe. Zoanthropes take that title. Even the prodigies would have trouble with just one of them."

"Amazons and zoanthropes are not like humans. They prefer to keep out of the mess us humans get ourselves into. It takes a lot to convince one to join us in battle." King Jiraiya added.

"So why bother to ask them for help now?"

"Because this time is different." Kakashi explained. "This time we are not fighting for selfish reasons, but for survival. We will die out if we don't fight."

"It will still be troublesome." Shikamaru continued. "It will still take a smooth tongue to convince them to join a battle that has nothing to do with them."

Naruto frowned. "Were they unaffected by the aphrodite plague?"

"Yes." King Jiraiya said. "The aphrodite plague only affected human females. Amazons are not humans, Naruto. Though it may seem like they are two different races and are named separately, they are actually the same. Amazons are the women while zoanthropes are the men."

"Amazons can't get pregnant of a human, Naruto." Kakashi elaborated after spotting the look on Naruto's face.

"Right." Naruto mumbled. "So how are you planning to persuade them?"

"Since when have you used big words like 'persuade'?" Shikamaru interrupted. "You know, you've been talking oddly lately."

"Are you calling me stupid again, Nara?" Naruto shot back

"Enough!" Queen Tsunade shouted. She turned to Naruto. "Do you feel you could assist them in convincing the Inuzuka amazons and Aburame zoanthropes to join us in this mission?"

"Yes." He answered immediately.

"Your Highness." Shikamaru said quickly. "He'll only get in our way."

"I know you are concerned, but the decision is not yours to make." Queen Tsunade said. "Kakashi, do you agree to take Naruto with you?"

Kakashi eyed Naruto before sighing. "I want a private word with Naruto."

King Jiraiya nodded. "Take the room on your right. You will not be bothered."

'_Stay alert or he wi__ll read you like a book. Do not let yourself be manipulated.'_ Kyuubi warned him as Kakashi closed the door behind him.

"Naruto." Kakashi breathed out, running a hand over his face. "I want to talk to you about what happened in the city of the Uchihas."

Naruto nodded stiffly.

"When I asked you to hand over the baby to me, you refused. Why?"

'_Lie.'_

"I wanted to spend more time with the baby." Naruto answered.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to be honest with you, Naruto. I have the feeling you're hiding something."

Naruto didn't reply, but tensed up even more.

"I'm going to ask you this again. Why didn't you give me the baby when I asked you to?"

Naruto waited before he answered, but Kyuubi did not offer any advice. "I did not trust you."

Kakashi froze. "What?"

Naruto struggled with himself. It was like one part of him desperately wanted to tell him the truth, but the more ferocious side of him refused to trust him. "I just, I had this weird feeling that you were going to do something you were going to regret."

'_Very good, little one. You gave him enough to satisfy him without having to tell him everything.'_

Kakashi studied him before sighing. "How did you know that?" He said eventually.

"Like I said, I had this weird feeling in my stomach." Naruto paused. "Does this mean I was right?"

It took a while before Kakashi answered. "I was thinking about searching the palace. Mapping the rooms of the women sleeping in it. Only once we had returned to Konoha did I realize that despite my skills I would have been found if I had done it."

'_Why is he confessing this? If I tell the king and queen he could be withdrawn from the mission. Maybe even lose his position.'_

'_He is trying to win your trust.'_ Kyuubi sniffed. _'Do not let this happen.'_

'_Should I report him?'_

'_No, let him think you trust him. Ask him what was in the vault.'_

"I have a question for you as well." Naruto said after a while.

Kakashi nodded. "Ask away."

"What was in the vault behind my father's tapestry?"

Kakashi sighed. "I honestly don't know. I asked the king and queen, even the elders, but none of them know what was in there. The vault was over a thousand years old and it had never been opened before."

"Now I will ask you another question." Kakashi began, "Despite what you might think I want to include you in this, but I can't do that unless I'm confident that your loyalty lies with Konoha. So I'm going to ask you; are you loyal to Konoha?"

"Yes." Naruto answered automatically, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Do you respect me as your superior?"

"Yes."

"And you will obey my commands, no matter what?"

"Yes."

For a second Naruto thought he was going to say something else, but Kakashi seemed to change his mind at the last moment. The crooked smile returned. "Welcome to the team."

Naruto forced himself to smile back.

Kakashi, seemingly unsuspicious, nodded. "Meeting is tomorrow, an hour after sunrise. We leave soon after that. Be prepared.'

Naruto took the longest route home. Usually he'd use the Ports (teleportation cabinets) because he wanted to get back to Sakura as quickly as possible, but lately he'd walk just to kill time. He ignored the gathering crowds, believing it to be just another funeral. Just another person who gave up the struggle.

'_Zoanthropes. Why are they recruiting zoanthropes and amazons? Why now?'_

'_Is it not obvious?'_

'_No, it does not make any sense. They just told me that zoanthropes and amazons prefer to stay away from battles between humans. Why would they try to convince them to fight against the Uchiha clan? It has nothing to do with them.'_

'_No. If there were to be a war between Konoha and the Uchiha clan it is very unlikely that the zoanthropes and amazons will care.' _The demon narrowed its red eyes. _'A battle with the demon child of Konoha, however...'_

Naruto jerked in surprise. _'What? What are you talking about?'_

'_They are suspicious. Especially that Hatake Kakashi that you used to look up to. I suspect it is one of the reasons as to why this mission is so rushed. He made sure to inform you at the last possible moment to ensure there would not be enough time for you to make a plan of your own.' _Kyuubi growled. _'Zoanthropes and amazons are nothing like humans, little one. And if there is one thing that they hate more than humans, it would have to be us, the Tailed Beasts. And you, little one, are a combination of both.'_

Naruto flinched. _'Is there something we can do?'_

'_Sabotage the mission. And if that fails do whatever you can to win their trust.'_ Kyuubi's eyes softened. _'Do not worry, little one. I'll think of something. We might even be able to turn this situation into something a little more favorable to us.'_

Naruto was not convinced. '_Why do zoanthropes hate humans?'_

'_Because of the one thing humans and demons have in common.' _Kyuubi replied with a flick of its broad tongue. _'We are both creatures of destruction.'_

Naruto shivered.

It wasn't unusual for Naruto to wake up before Sakura since Kyuubi stepped into his life. He would be up on his toes as soon as the sun began to rise. Carefully washing and dressing himself so he would not wake her up.

She was the last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment. He had more important things to do. Like meeting his team.

After a quick breakfast he headed up to the palace where a burly, cigarette-smoking royal guard was waiting for him. "Uzumaki Naruto?"

"That's me."

"Field six."

"Thanks."

'_You sure know your way around the palace, little one.'_

'_A gift from Iruka.'_

'_How kind of her.'_

'_So, I guess they are the people I will be working with.'_

'_Against.' _Kyuubi corrected.

It couldn't have been more obvious that Kakashi felt comfortable despite the possibly life-threatening journey they were going to make the same day.

Shikamaru looked bored and, predictably, his mood darkened when he laid eyes upon Naruto. "You're late."

"I am not."

"Just a little." Naruto turned to the other two people. Rock Lee was leaning against a wall with soft smile on his face. He recognized him due to his voice. "Don't worry about it. You probably walked here instead of using the Ports."

Naruto nodded. Rock Lee looked strong. He was tall and muscular. There wasn't a single ounce of fat on his body. His kind, boyish face was a total contrast to this. He wasn't nearly as handsome as either Shikamaru , Kakashi or even himself, but he wouldn't be surprised if Lee had a thong of fangirls nonetheless.

"I wouldn't trust them either after the battle. You could've ended up somewhere in Mizu."

'_He looks gullible.' _Naruto thought, wondering if he should try his luck with Lee.

'_Do not get cocky. He is smarter than he lets on.'_

Naruto nodded before blanching. _'A woman?'_

Indeed. Standing next to Rock Lee was, no doubt, a woman. She was tall and curvy with long legs and rather large breasts accentuated by her expensive, red Chinese kimono. Her long, dark brown hair was pinned up elegantly and, like every other member of her clan, she had those soul-piercing, moon-blue eyes.

"Hyuuga Neji?"

She gave him an odd look before turning away.

'_Definitely Hyuuga. She's as snobbish as they come.'_

'_Do not let her insolence affect you. You are under suspicion as it is. One wrong move is all they need to never trust you again.'_Kyuubi snapped as Naruto felt all of the demon's power leave him.

Naruto blinked at the sudden burst of color. Then he faked a smile which seemed to surprise everyone. "Well, let's get started."

000

Preview of next chapter :

"What about Sakura?"

"I hate her." Naruto hissed.

"No, you don't. The demon hates her, not you. You love her, remember?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I cannot remember. I cannot remember ever loving her." He looked up to Kakashi's sad face. "What does that mean?"

"That it's too late." Kakashi whispered. "You're becoming one."

"Is that a bad thing?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"It coud mean the end of the world." Kakashi replied gently, unnerved by Naruto's suddenly vulnerable state. "You don't want that, do you? You're fighting against it now, aren't you?"

Naruto didn't answer. He shuffled into his tent and under the covers until he was completely out of sight.

Kakashi ran his hand over his bare face and sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

Name – Goddess

Genre – Adventure/ Drama/Erotica/ Dark Romance/ Fantasy/ Whatever

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Neji, Violence, Language

Chapter Pairings – (One-Sided) LeeNeji, (One-Sided) NejiKaka, (Slight) KakaIru

Summary – Naruto dreams of becoming a hero. After the rise of the Tailed Beasts and the plague that left every woman infertile causing chaos and mayhem, he is fully aware of how much the world needs one. But these are times of war, discrimination, secret organizations and dangerous affairs. He will need more than dreams just to survive.

Enjoy.

000

Stigma – _First of all, I have to say I'm in love with your review. No hard feelings whatsoever. It's just so detailed with a lot of your opinion in it which is exactly how I like them. _

_Now, on to my reply: the reason why I knew my story would be confusing, especially in the beginning, is because there is a lot of secrecy going on. The majority of the story is in Naruto's POV and he doesn't know everything that is happening. Plus, he has been lied to a lot. Also, Kyuubi is a demon – it's arrogant and thinks itself superior to everything – so it's not always right or the best thing to listen to. So most of it is actually supposed to be confusing at first._

_And, yes, good point with the seal stuff. But I wrote it wrong I now realize. Minato's seal imprisoned Kyuubi within Naruto's soul. Now, I wrote that it was Danzo's intention to melt their souls together, but that was a mistake. The goal of seal Danzo's team added was supposed to ensure the fact that Kyuubi could be resealed into someone else after Naruto died, but it backfired. Instead Kyuubi's consciousness started melting with that of Naruto. So it's not like Kyuubi broke out or anything._

_As for the Kyuubi/Naruto interaction, it plays a big part because it has to do with Naruto who's not only the main character but, confused and angry thus, he leans on Kyuubi, the only one who can get through to him at this point in the story. _

_I have no idea what a hanyou is, but I assure you that things are more complicating than they seem. I, for one, hate All-Powerful!Naruto stories and refuse to write one. So if that is what you're thinking than I'm sorry to say you're wrong. _

_I understand what your point though about the whole Kyuubi business. But it's one of the small plots within the whole story line. _

_Once again, thank you for the review. I hope you read my reply. _

A12b24i96 – _I'm glad the second chapter cleared a few things up for you.. I'm glad and grateful you reviewed. PS – you have a very confusing name. I spent more time trying to write it down correctly than answering your review :P._

Emissary of Despair – _Another one who was confused. I have to say that the real plot and some more answers (or truthful answers actually) arrive in the third chapter. I can understand that the preview disappointed you and maybe even a few others, but it was meant to lead you astray. Plus, I had several pieces to choose from and I had no idea which one would be the best so I randomly picked on and thought of an excuse, if it wouldn't be the best decision after all, later :P._

Thousand Tailed Holy FlashFang – _I'm happy you didn't immediately give up on _Goddess_. I hope it will keep surprising you, in a good way of course. _

Tris Uchiha – _Good point, but I can't tell you that or I will give away a chunk of the plot. Don't worry though, none of the female characters (gender-blended or otherwise) will turn out to actually be a secret, super awesome deity._

Moopad – _Well, he's not going to become a godly super-duper demon hybrid thing if that's what you mean. I'm not a fan of 'sHealth!Naruto. I'm glad you like the story so far. I hope you'll keep enjoying it._

000

AN – _Don't believe everything that you read! The story is told in Naruto's POV most of the time and he isn't aware of everything that is going on. Plus, people can lie. And Kyuubi is a demon. It's arrogant, power-hungry, paranoid because of his sudden mortality, thinks it knows everything and that it's better than everyone else. And also, the only reason why the chapter are coming so fast is because I'm too impatient to wait a week before posting them. So the next chapter is probably not going to come as soon as this one did._

000

_Chapter VI – History's Greatest Secrets, Part I_

"I'm sure all of you are aware of just what kind of dangerous creatures roam the outskirts of Konoha." Everyone, including Naruto, nodded. "And you all know what kind of tools and weapons are most effective against them?"

"Yes, we do." Neji replied. She had a faint accent. "The usual antidotes, medical supplies, battle equipment and survival gear."

Kakashi smirked. "Be patient, Neji-chan. There is someone on this team who never had a mission before."

Neji sniffed indignantly and crossed her arms over her ample breasts. Naruto swallowed thickly and suddenly became nervous at the idea of having a woman on the team.

_'Stop squirming. She is just a female. Just a pretty face.'_

_'No.'_ Naruto replied. _'She is a warrioress. Unlike Sakura, she completed her education. She might be female, but I am positive that she is worthy of her Hyuuga name.'_

_'Why does that bother you?' _Kyuubi growled before halting. It sniffed the air around it. Then it smirked teasingly. _'It arouses you. The thought of a woman capable of overpowering you actually excites you.'_

Naruto blushed. _'Shut up.'_

"Now, as you all know our mission is to locate the Aburame zoanthropes and Inuzuka amazons. The two tribes travel together as one. However, they never remain in the same place for more than two months." Kakashi said. "And seeing as we last had contact with them over twenty years ago you can imagine that it will be a tough one trying to find them."

"Why not send an expert tracking team then?" Neji asked with frown. Naruto wasn't sure if it was the mission itself, his presence or a combination of both that had put her in such a dark mood. "They could find them much faster than we could."

"Not if they don't want to be found." Shikamaru answered.

"Exactly." Kakashi continued.

Neji sighed. "Estimated time?"

"No more than a month, Neji-chan."

"Don't call me that!"

"You're as feisty as always." Shikamaru said with a sigh.

Neji glared at him.

"Anyways." Kakashi went on loudly. "Our mission isn't just to locate their whereabouts, but to convince them to form an alliance with Konoha."

"Useless." Neji remarked.

"Agreed." Shikamaru added.

_'Looks like we are not the only ones who are unhappy with this assignment.' _Kyuubi said, pleased.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. "This mission is not an option. And despite what you all may think, this is very important."

"Enlighten us." Neji stated.

"The Uchiha clan attacked us for a reason. That reason was a glowing orb the size of a watermelon hidden behind Namikaze Minato's portrait." Kakashi explained. "The zoanthropes and amazons are the oldest, still-living race in the world."

"Wrong." Shikamaru said. "Dryads are. Always have been. Always will be."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at him. "Alright fine, zoanthropes and amazons are the oldest, still-living race that have had any connection with the human race."

"So you're thinking they might know something?" Shikamaru groaned. "The orb was _human-_made."

"We aren't certain of that."

"Only humans have ever been stupid or greedy enough to force magic into a lifeless object."

Kakashi shook his head. "As far as I could tell there was no magical energy coming from that orb."

"Then what was it?" Naruto asked, his curiosity spiked.

"I don't know. That's what we have to find out."

"Magic is the only energy that can be permanently tranfered and stored into an object successfully." Neji insisted.

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "If we're going to run after the tail of another race, we might as well head out to Moya. The sadins are more likely to know anything. Not to mention, they're less likely to chase us back to Konoha or eat us for dinner."

"It _wasn't magic_. Whatever it was, it was powerful and potent, but _not magical_." Kakashi said irritably. "Understood? We could be dealing with a whole new sort of energy. The zoanthropes and amazons are our best bet."

"Alright." Neji admitted reluctantly, though she didn't quite give up. "If that is the most logical way forwards then I have another question."

"It's always a pleasure engaging in head-spinning discussions with you, Neji-chan." Kakashi teased.

Neji pursed her lips in irritation. "Why are you planning on winning them over? Why now?"

Naruto did not miss the way Kakashi's eyes flicked to him for a mere second before he answered. "Because..." He trailed off.

"Because?" Neji pushed.

Kakashi looked pain. He kept glancing at Naruto. "Because I have reasons to believe that the orb and the aphrodite plague are connected somehow." Kakashi finally said.

Neji was stunned. "What?" She whispered finally.

"What are you saying?" Lee said quietly.

"It has been long speculated that the aphrodite plague was an AD."

"What's an AD?" Naruto asked, ignoring the gasped and shocked looks.

"Artificial Disease." Shikamaru seemed to reply automatically without realizing it.

Naruto was confused for a minute for the pieces clicked together. "Bio-weapon." He said shortly.

"Exactly." Kakashi confirmed.

"But why?" Lee asked. "No human would ever-"

"Precisely. No human is that stupid." Kakashi interrupted. He gave them a long, hard stare. "That is the real reason why all the tribes, not just zoanthropes and amazons, said farewell to the human race. Because we blamed them for the aphrodite plague."

"Why?" Naruto asked, delighted that he, for once, was hearing the truth.

"Humans and other races have never been on real good terms. Mainly because each race think themselves superior to the other. Because of this and several other disagreements we liked to think that the other races not only hated us, but were jealous of us."

"Why?" Naruto repeated.

Kakashi sighed. "Have none of you ever wondered how humans came in the possession of magic?"

"So it's true then?" Shikamaru said abrubtly. Everyone looked at him. He was staring at their team leader in disbelief.

Kakashi nodded. "Magicians were born the very day the elves became extinct."

"We wiped them out?" Lee whispered, looking horrified.

"One of history's greatest secrets." Shikamaru said with a tight jaw.

"Well said." Kakashi replied bitterly. "We humans destroyed what was probably the most beautiful civilization in existence for one single reason."

"Greed." Naruto answered.

Kakashi looked at him. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he shaking his head. "As you also might know, even the most powerful magicians that ever lived are nothing compared to the elfin kingdom. Elf magic is different from the magic us humans use."

"So you're thinking the orb is, say, a survivor from their lost civilization?" Neji asked.

"It could be."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Even if what you're saying is true then it would still make more sense to head to Moya instead of wasting our time searching for the zoanthropes."

"No, not even sadins could completely master elf magic." Kakashi replied. "They have their own form of magic. Just like us humans do. Plus, zoanthropes and amazons were on good terms with the elfin kingdom. Sadins, however, weren't."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. His furrowed his brow in thought.

"So, wait a minute, how and when did we realize that it was not the other races that set the plague on us?" Naruto asked.

"As soon as we began to discover that the disease was created purposefully."

Naruto frowned. "You lost me."

"We blamed the other races, because we couldn't find anyone else to blame, Naruto. It's as simple as that." Kakashi said. "We were angry, scared and jealous because they were uneffected by it. That's why we pointed our fingers at them instead of seeing the truth that was laying right before our eyes."

"Only humans would bother to seek the knowledge on how to cause massive destruction." Shikamaru added. "There isn't a single person from another race who knows or even wants to know how to create a such a weapon, let alone something as complicating and time-consuming as a bio-weapon."

"But then who on earth would want to do such a thing to their own race?"

"I can think of one person." Shikamaru whispered with a frown.

"So can I." Kakashi said. "Orochimaru."

"Surely, even he isn't that crazed?" Neji hissed.

"You'd be surprised, Neji-chan. You really would be."

"Orochimaru is the king of Oto, correct?" Naruto wondered.

Kakashi nodded. "Ever since he seized the throne he has become obsessed with immortality. However, Oto isn't nearly advanced enough to provide him with the information, let alone the tools."

Shikamaru laughed darkly. "So he decided to force the rest of the world to give him a hand by exterminating any means of reproduction. How brilliant of him."

Kakashi glared at him. "We still aren't certain that Orochimaru is the one responsible for the aphrodite plague."

Shikamaru ignored him. "I wonder how he would react if he knew there is still a fertile woman somewhere?"

Neji snapped towards him. "That's it."

Shikamaru frowned at her. "What's it?"

"The Uchiha clan already has a fertile woman, no matter if it's just one." Neji began.

"You honestly are a clever one, Neji-chan." Kakashi cooed teasingly.

"_Shut up!_" She snapped at him before continuing. "The Uchihas are intelligent. Intelligent enough not to risk exposing their little secret over the power to get more fertile women."

"Ah." Lee started, understanding. "So, whatever the orb is, it's not meant to cure the aphrodite plague."

"That's what I think. It could be used for something a lot more dangerous." Kakashi said.

Naruto shook his head confused. "I don't understand. What does the orb have to do with the aphrodite plague if two different people were responsible for both incidents?"

"Because, if it wasn't for the aphrodite plague then there is a chance that the Uchiha clan wouldn't have stolen the orb." Kakashi answered. He glanced at the sky which began to glow orange. "We should get ourselves prepared for the journey. We'll discuss this further on the way. Rock Lee, if you will, assist Naruto. He's new and all."

Naruto bristled, but held his tongue._ 'Kyuubi, did you get all that?' _

_'Certainly. It seems I was wrong. But it is valuable information nonetheless, little one. Very useful.' _Kyuubi smirked. _'It seems that that wolf will even spill the most dangerous secrets in order to win your trust. Use it to your advantage, little one.'_

* * *

"Alright." Lee said, surveying Naruto's warrior equipment. "You've got a truckload of medical supplies, don't you?"

"Yeah, my fiancée owns an apothecary."

"You wouldn't be talking about _Haruno,_ by any chance?" Lee asked.

"That is exactly what I was talking about, actually." Naruto glared teasingly. "Why? Have you been ogling my girl?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Lee joked back. "So, you're well-prepared medically."

"But the rest I have is crap." Naruto finished. "Don't worry, I know. Money has always been a big issue in my life."

"But I thought your wife owns one of the biggest apothecaries in Konoha?" Lee asked, frowning. "All the warriors I know get their stuff from _Haruno_ so I would've thought money would be the least of your problems."

"She's my fiancée. Not my wife." Naruto said with as much emphasis as he could. "And that is exactly why money is still a problem. Her parents won't let me near it until it's official that we'll grow old together."

"So why not marry her?"

"That costs money too." Naruto said.

"Right." Lee nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean. I had, and sometimes still have, a hard time getting by."

Naruto looked surprised. "You do?"

Lee smiled. "Of course. I don't belong to a clan either, or have rich parents. I was just an ordinaire orphan."

Naruto stared at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. Those were rough times. Getting bullied, teased and laughed at by the other kids."

"Getting ignored by the teachers who always favored the rich kids." Naruto said.

Lee nodded. "Getting the wake up call of your life once you've gotten a good look at the price of those special classes."

Naruto chuckled. "And still getting it into your head that you could somehow make it. And falling in love, let's not forget that one."

"And in the end, we won." Lee finished.

"Yeah." Naruto glanced at Lee. "How did you pay for all those classes?"

Lee sighed. "The Academy paid it for me."

"What?" Naruto gaped at him.

"At first, nobody believed in me. Everyone thought I was strange because my energy rejects everything – elements, abilities, name it. But then I met this man. His name was Gai."

"Gai-sensei?"

"You know him?"

"He taught me for four months. He was a substitute teacher."

Lee shook his head. "Not when I met him. When I met him he was a warrior who had just returned from a mission. He spotted me training. The next day he visited me at the Academy. He told me that he had the same energy I had. He said it was 'special energy'."

"Special?" Naruto repeated with a frown.

"Hey, I was young back then. It sounded good enough to me." Lee said. "He told me that our kind of energy wasn't meant to leave the body. At that moment I didn't really understand so I just pretended I did. The next day, a woman came to the orphanage and took me to a hospital. Not even an hour after the medics had examined me Gai returned and told me that all the expenses to all the classes I'd need were paid off."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Why? Why did they pay it for you?"

"I'm what people call a 'combat artist'. All of the energy that is supposed to be put into element manipulating or controlling an ability is instead used to pump up my physical power." Lee answered. "They're very rare, you see."

Naruto just stared.

_'Basically, he is a superhuman.' _Kyuubi deadpanned.

_'Which means?'_

_'He is stronger and faster than an average human could ever hope to be without needing to use an ability or spell. He can survive injuries that would otherwise kill any other normal human. He probably also has some sort of immunity to magic. And so on, and so on.'_

"Ah." Naruto said finally. "Cool. You see, things turned out right. We both graduated and got the girl."

Lee flinched. "Not really. I didn't get the girl."

"You didn't?"

Lee bit his lip. "No. Seems like she'll always be out of my league no matter what I do."

Naruto looked at him. He was about to reach out to comfort him when a fierce flash of heat erupted in his stomach. _'Fuck, Kyuubi!'_

"Right, back to business. How long have you had that armor?" Lee said suddenly, making Naruto jump.

Naruto blinked sheepishly. "Eh, too long?"

Lee smiled. "Good answer. Where's your wife?"

"Fiancée." Naruto hissed.

"Right. Where is she?"

"Why?"

"Well, I thought she'd might pay for the things you need. Or at least loan you the money."

"She's probably closing up shop." Naruto said half-truthfully. It was more likely that she was crying over at Ino's.

"This late?"

"Yeah. She's a workaholic." Naruto lied.

Lee gave him a look that made Naruto realize Kyuubi was right. Lee was much smarter than he let on. "So how are we going to do this then? You know someone you can borrow it from?"

"Not really."

"Maybe we can borrow some from the royal palace. You'll have to pay it back though, but you can pay it off in terms." Lee mumbled. "You're going to need some powerful armor for this mission."

"In case they attack us?"

Lee shook his head. "No, in case we find the wrong zoanthrope tribe."

Naruto blinked. "Wrong tribe?"

"Every race has good and bad people. Same with zoanthropes and amazons. There are a few tribes who hunt anything, including humans."

"Right." Naruto mumbled, feeling a little nauseus.

_'Seasick?'_

_'Why did you do that?'_ Naruto snapped.

_'Because you were caving into his sob story.' _Kyuubi growled back. _'Have you forgotten what our goal is? Do not be fooled. His life has not been half as painful as yours.'_

_'That does not mean it wasn't painful at all.'_

Kyuubi suddenly became quiet. When it spoke again, it was with a low, dangerous purr. _'So what, little one, are you trying to make a friend?'_

_'What is wrong with that?'_

_'That girl he was talking about. She sounds very classy. I wonder if she would allow him to keep friends like you. I wonder who he would choose. You or her?'_

Naruto glanced at Lee, who was making a list of all the things he needed.

_'I love you, little one.' _Kyuubi snarled. _'No one will ever love you like I do. Do not bother with friendship or romance. You may take as many bitches as you want, but do not waste your emotions on them. They are not worthy of them. Only I am.'_

_'Only you, huh?'_

Kyuubi's red eyes narrowed. _'Indeed.'_

000

_Chapter VII – The Reckless Woods_

_"Why do they call it the Reckless Woods?_

_Because if the trees and flowers could_

_They'd speak of war and bloodshed._

_They'd speak of the dead buried in their bed."_

"Lovely song." Shikamaru grumbled.

"Isn't it?" Neji said with a sour look on her face.

Kakashi ignored them and carried on. Naruto really wished he wouldn't.

_'Why does the wind sound like its crying?_

_Because it has seen these brave men dying._

_It has seen the sorrow on the face of death,_

_And carries the remnants of their last breath.'_

"Could you stop now?" Neji snapped. "It's not even the song that is getting on my nerves anymore. It's your terrible tendency to miss every note."

Kakashi glared at her.

Naruto sighed as the two bickered, hissing at each other like two women fighting over a necklace imported from the other side of the planet.

"Lively, aren't they?" Lee commented with a smile.

"If that's how you want to put it." Shikamaru complained. "We haven't even been on this troublesome journey for two hours and everyone is already getting on her bad side."

"Is she always like that?" Naruto asked. The looks Lee and Shikamaru gave him were answer enough.

"She prefers travelling in silence." Lee said carefully.

"Which is a difficult thing to do with Kakashi around." Shikamaru stated. "I swear, that man likes annoying people. She isn't making things better, either"

"She's just trying to get him to calm down a little." Lee replied.

Shikamaru snorted. "Yeah right. That's the exact opposite of what she wants."

Lee snapped his head to him. Naruto watched, intrigued. "What do you mean?" Lee demanded.

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm just saying that if any one of us had sung, she would've just ignored us. _That_," he pointed to where Kakashi and Neji were still exchanging glares and snappy words, "is the biggest call for attention I've ever seen."

Lee stared blankly at him. Mistaking it for confusion, Shikamaru continued. "Don't you get it? She's attracted to him. She wants him to pounce her, because she's too high-bred to make the first move."

Naruto closely watched as Lee's face crumbled. _'He's in love with Neji.'_

_'Yes.' _Kyuubi chuckled, sounding delighted. _'But she does not love him back.'_

"Alright then, why don't_ you_ sing?" Kakashi snapped before noticing the sudden tension in the air. "What happened?'

Naruto remained silent, as did Lee. Shikamaru, completely oblivious, shrugged. "No idea."

Kakashi glanced back and forth from Naruto to Lee before sighing. "Fine then. We'll set camp at the next clearing or we'll be sleeping by day and traveling at night."

Naruto discovered that both Shikamaru and Kyuubi had been right when Neji placed her tent as near to Kakashi's as she could. Had she been a helpless damsel it would have made perfect sense to want to sleep near the leader, but Neji was no helpless damsel.

Lee, unfortunately, also noticed and remained quiet as he set up his own tent.

_'I wonder if Kakashi knows.' _Naruto wondered.

_'Why?' _Kyuubi said as it licked its gigantic paw. _'Hoping he will reject her so that she will see the error of her ways and jump into the arms of that combat artist friend of yours?'_

_'He is not my friend.'_

_'No? Then why pity him?'_

_'I do not pity him. I sympathyze. Why shouldn't I? The girl he loves is in love with someone else.'_

_'Because it is none of our business.' _Kyuubi sniffed. _'Observe and learn, little one. If he does not make a move, it will only take a matter of time before her self-control breaks and decides to take matters into her own hands. I will be looking forward to it. I wonder what that pretty face of hers will look like all desperate and aching for the touch of a man.'_

_'He will reject her.'_

_'Do not be so sure. Neither you nor sir combat artist are the only ones who can see how attractive she is.'_

_'It is forbidden to sleep with your subordinates.'_ Naruto insisted.

_'Yes, but even if he would obey the rules, she will not be his subordinate forever. In fact, the rules will vanish as soon as the mission ends.'_

Naruto tightened his jaw as he crawled under the covers. _'It'll only be a matter of time before I fall in love again.' _Naruto said, just to anger the demon.

_'Never!'_ Kyuubi snarled.

_'Don't count on it. I am a very sensitive person after all.'_

* * *

Naruto woke up to a scream. He hastily scrambled out of the tent, but stopped when he spotted Kakashi sitting by the fire. He wasn't wearing a mask.

Naruto tilted his head. "You look different somehow." He joked.

Kakashi smirked. He looked very different without his mask. Instead of seeming more open, he looked serious, tired, intimidating. A little angry even. "Strange thing to say."

Naruto shrugged. He jumped when he heard another scream. "What is that?"

Kakashi glanced at Naruto before returning his attention to the fire in the middle of the tents. "There are creatures in these woods that can imitate the cry of an infant, the scream of a woman, even a shout for help." He grabbed a twig and threw into the fire. "Creatures that will devour you as soon as you come too close without even giving you time to realize what hit you."

Naruto flinched. "Others." He whispered.

Kakashi nodded. "So you've heard of them. Good."

Naruto clenched his fists, feeling every muscle in his body tense. Of course he'd heard of them. The infamous predators of the Reckless Woods. He had even seen a picture once.

Heinous humanoids with tiny bloodshot eyes and skin so pale that one could count every green vein laying underneath. With a lipless mouth lined with massive, sharp teeth and a skeletonal body with long, spider-like limbs.

"Don't worry." Kakashi said, studying the look on Naruto's face. "They won't attack us."

Naruto stared disbelievingly at him.

Kakashi pointed towards the small purple pot laying next to the fire. "The Nara clan is used to dealing with the creatures here because their deer live in a small portion of Reckless Woods. The incense keeps the Others away. They don't like the smell."

"What about other dangerous creatures? Will it keep them away too?" Naruto wondered, still prepared to fight for his life.

"No. That's what the gorgonsire twigs are for." Kakashi explained. "Gorgonsires are-"

"I know." Naruto interrupted, looking at the bag of twigs laying at Kakashi's feet. The twigs squirmed like snakes. "Gorgonsires are trees possessed by a violent forest spirit, usually the vengeful ghost of a dryad."

Kakashi nodded, looking impressed. "Once a gorgonsire has gotten hold of you it is almost impossible to escape. It will hoist you up to the top of the trunk where its mouth is and swallow you whole. The only way to kill one is by burning them. The Nara clan cleverly discovered that a burning gorgonsire releases a high-pitched scream that humans can't hear. It's enough to scare off most of the strongest predators."

Naruto smirked bitterly. "I can see why everyone always sends a rookie team on a survival trip into the Reckless Woods now."

"Yes, it takes more than brawns to come out alive. Then again, we also have reasons to love it. These woods are one of Konoha's best defenses."

"On the other hand, it also makes sure that not everyone can leave Konoha." Naruto replied.

Kakashi sighed. "Not all things in the Reckless Woods are out to kill you, Naruto. Beautiful things live here as well."

"Like what?"

"Dryads."

"Dryads." Naruto whispered. "Yeah. As long as they haven't been driven mad by all the forest fires, tree cutting and corpses littering their feet."

Kakashi sighed once more, silently admitting that Naruto was right. "You know, I've seen the king of dryads once. His name is Mo'onurr. I must say, he isn't nearly as lovely as his daughters and sons."

"Is he powerful?" Was the first thing Naruto asked.

Kakashi nodded. "And wise. Uncomparably wise. You can tell because he loves to speak in riddles."

Naruto chuckled. "Like the sphinx of the forest or something."

"Or something, yes." Kakashi agreed. "It's impossible to understand all of his wisdom though."

"Because of his riddles?"

"No, because he speaks dryad wisdom, Naruto. Not human wisdom. It's the same with the other races. Each race has a _shitte iru _or 'oracle', one that knows. But they only speak the wisdom meant for their own people. However, there are things that every oracle speaks of that everyone can relate to."

"And that is?"

"Peace." Kakashi said shortly. "And love."

Naruto nodded slowly, unsure of how to reply, "Do zoanthropes and amazons have an oracle?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Perhaps. Usually the oracle is the oldest of their race. In some cases that also makes the oracle their king or queen. Like Mo'onurr is the king of dryads and the sphinx is queen of the griffins."

Naruto flicked his eyes over to Neji as she turned in her sleep. He contemplated asking Kakashi about her, but decided against it. Kakashi noticed him staring though.

"Quite a woman, isn't she?" He said.

"You could say that." Naruto replied carefully. "She's powerful, rich, intelligent, beautiful. She comes from a reknown clan. Every man's dream woman, I suppose."

"Not every man, Naruto." Kakashi whispered. "Some men prefer to have more – how should I put this? – _gentle_ women."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Too violent for you?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Too much in every sense, more like it. If I'd ever manage to settle down with a woman I'd want one who can create a home for me away from all the violence."

"And her being a warrior makes that a problem, huh?"

"Exactly. Nonetheless, she is a remarkable woman. There aren't many who would dare to stand up to the Lone Wolf even if they're warriors." Kakashi said with a sad smile.

Naruto smirked. "I know a woman who doesn't know a thing about warriors and would have no problem putting you in your place if she felt like you needed it."

Kakashi raised both his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Her name is Iruka. She raised me."

"Iruka, huh? She wouldn't happen to be that lovely lady that was accompanying your fiancée the day of the attack?"

"Tiny brunette? Slight scar on her nose?" Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, That's her, alright."

Kakashi smiled. It was a fond smile, Naruto noted, not entirely sure if he liked the idea of them together. "Yes, she was rather feisty, wasn't she?"

_'Do not go there, little one.' _Kyuubi warned him. _'He is the last person you need to get close to. He will figure you out before you know it and at this moment he will have no problem stopping us.'_

_'Oh please, as if Iruka would ever date him. She thinks he's an arrogant showoff.'_

_'Really now?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'Are you certain of that? That princess over there was not acting much differently from the way Iruka would have.' _Kyuubi huffed. _'Are you really going to let him take her away from you?'_

Naruto frowned. He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure about anything anymore.

"Kyuubi," Kakashi said. Naruto snapped his head towards him. "is a very smooth talker, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto swallowed, nervously.

Kakashi stared him, all kidding aside, as he continued. "It's talking to you, isn't it?"

"I do not know what you mean."

"You get a glazed look on your face whenever it speaks to you."

Naruto remained silent. He crept back under the covers, hoping Kakashi would get the hint that the conversation is over.

He didn't.

"Haven't you noticed odd things about yourself since Kyuubi came into your life?" Kakashi continued persistently. "That you've started hating people and things you used to love or admire? That suddenly you distrust everyone around you, doubting their sincerity? That you started showing extreme interest in everything that has to do with power, or more specifically, gaining it?"

_'Do not listen to him!' _Kyuubi roared as soon as it discovered how intently Naruto was listening.

"I've been wondering for a while now, if I should tell you or not. But recent events proved that Kyuubi's influence over you is growing rapidly. I can tell that you're not always obedient, but you're getting there." Kakashi whispered gently. "Want to know how I can tell? Because of the way you talk."

Naruto inhaled sharply, but refused to reply.

"You start talking in full sentences. Instead of saying 'don't', you say 'do not'." Kakashi went on. "And you get a very peculiar accent as well. As if you are no longer a curious, naïve boy, but a centuries-year old creature who thinks himself superior and justified in its hatred towards the world."

Naruto frowned. "I'm not naïve." He said before thinking. He punched the ground when he realized he took the bait.

Kakashi smiled carefully. "But you are. You're naïve in so many ways, Naruto. You would follow anyone who claims to love you."

Naruto scowled. "Shut up."

"I'm not going to tell you that Kyuubi was lying when it said it loved you." Kakashi whispered. "Because, in a way, it does. It feels all the pain and sorrow you've ever felt. Actually, it's almost safe to say that you're making it... humane. More sensitive to emotion."

Kakashi waited for Naruto to respond or show signs of conversing with the demon inside of him. But when nothing happened, he continued. "What you have to realize, Naruto, is that Kyuubi is a demon. A wicked, vengeful creature of mass destruction. It may love you, but I doubt it could love anyone or anything else."

"So what?" Naruto whispered back.

"Is that what you want? A lonely life, feeling nothing but the angry love of a demon who will bend you into continuing its path of devastation?" Kakashi shook his head. "No, that's not what you want, Naruto. Because you, of all people, know what its like to suffer and to be alone."

"I had to suffer because of you. You people and your greed." Naruto hissed.

Kakashi flinched slightly. "Did Kyuubi talk to you? Is that what it said?"

"You know nothing."

"I do." Kakashi said carefully. "I've felt loneliness. I've felt loss. That does not mean I should start thinking I'm the only one intitled to a good life. I thought talking to Lee would have made you realize that not everyone has had it easy."

"Shut up." Naruto said again.

"You've given Kyuubi some of your humanity." Kakashi continued, stubbornly. "Do _not_ let him return the favor by pouring his demonic thoughts into your head. Nothing good comes from hatred, Naruto."

_'But it is human nature, is it not? To hate and to love.' _Kyuubi countered. _'No being in existence can sever themselves completely from hatred. Because, in their darkest moments, they know it is the only thing that will keep them going. The only thing they will have.'_

_'But I have you.' _Naruto said, feeling dizzy and confused. _'You said you would be there, always.'_

Kyuubi purred, lovingly. _'I will be, little one. Til the very end, I will be here with you. But we are both creatures of destruction, hatred is our power. And power is what you need to become the hero you want to be.'_

Naruto whined.

_'We cannot surrender our hatred nor our anger, little one. Because if we do, there will be nothing left.'_

_'Am I stuck in a moment of darkness?' _Naruto then wondered.

_'Your whole life has been nothing but dark moments, little one.'_

"Don't listen to him." Kakashi snapped suddenly. "Whatever he's telling you, it's making you give up. Do not give up, Naruto."

"But he is right." Naruto said. "There is nothing but darkness. So much lonliness and pain."

"What about Sakura?"

"I hate her." Naruto hissed.

"No, you don't. The demon hates her, not you. You love her, remember?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I cannot remember. I cannot remember ever loving her." He looked up to Kakashi's sad face. "What does that mean?"

"That it's too late." Kakashi whispered. "You're becoming one."

"Is that a bad thing?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"It coud mean the end of the world." Kakashi replied gently, unnerved by Naruto's suddenly vulnerable state. "You don't want that, do you? You're fighting against it now, aren't you?"

Naruto didn't answer. He shuffled into his tent and under the covers until he was completely out of sight.

Kakashi ran his hand over his bare face and sighed.

_"Why do they call it the Reckless Woods?_

_Because if the trees and flowers could_

_They'd bring you the finest cherry wine,_

_And speak of those who were left behind._

_Why does the wind sound like its weeping?_

_Because deep below there's a sorrow sleeping._

_So it cries for the restless and distraught,_

_For the heroes that the world forgot."_

* * *

"The shores are our best bet." Shikamaru hissed. "Especially in this heat."

"And I say we should check the mountains." Neji barked back.

"Maybe we should split up?" Lee offered.

"No. It's best to stay together." Kakashi said. "Unfortunately, I'm with Neji-chan this time. They are most likely in the mountains, tending to their litters at this moment. They only travel to the shores when it gets hotter than this."

"Hotter than _this_?" Naruto huffed. "You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Wish I was." Kakashi replied after wiping his brow.

Naruto suddenly fully understood why people said the Reckless Woods had bipolar weather. When they started it had been nice, not too hot or too cold. The next few days it rained nonstop. And not even a day ago it had been freezing. Now it was smoldering hot.

Everyone was grumpy. Naruto was confident that they had been attacked by about every creature roaming in the Reckless Woods. And so far, they still had no idea where to look. They had covered every cave and rabbit hole large enough to fit a pride of zoanthropes and amazons, but so far nothing.

Although the withering heat did have its advantages. More breaks, less talking and, of course, Neji in her summer outfit. A short, beige Chinese kimono of a thin, almost sheer material. It was safe to say that Naruto noticed he wasn't the only man on the team that appreciated the more prominent cleavage and bared legs.

Lee even missed a branch as he was too busy staring at the way her skirt flew up when she jumped.

_'You should take her.' _Kyuubi commented.

_'What?' _Naruto spluttered. _'No!'_

_'Why not?'_

_'She would never have me.' _Naruto raised an eyebrow as he remembered something. _'Besides, she might get the wrong idea and then I'll be stuck with her. She's hot and everything, but dominant.'_

_'Which turns you on.'_

Naruto blushed. _'Shut up.'_

Nonetheless, he continued to watch Neji. He liked her a lot better like this. Chest heaving and sweaty with all signs of the usual aristocratic snobbishness gone.

_'Just jump her already.'_

_'No! She belongs to Lee, even if she does not know it yet.'_

_'Hah!' _Kyuubi laughed. _'That wolf will have taken her a dozen times before that happens.'_

_'Kakashi is not interested in warrior girls.' _Naruto reminded the demon.

_'As a wife, no, but he does not need a ring on his finger to take the bitch.'_

Naruto was ready to retort was Shikamaru stopped suddenly.

"That's it. Break." He said, dropping himself against the massive trunk.

"Nice stamina." Naruto muttered.

"Shut it, blondie." Shikamaru snapped.

Naruto didn't bother to glare back. He watched as Lee shyly approached Neji. "Would you like some water, Neji-san?"

Neji looked at him. For a moment Naruto was afraid she was going to snap at him, but then she sighed and accepted the water bottle. "Thank you." She said as she gave the bottle back.

_'Damn it, woman, get the hint!'_ Naruto fumed, even angrier when that little sentence made Lee beam.

_'She refuses too. Do you see now, little one. He is too kind and submissive to be the man she wants.' _Kyuubi smirked. _'And she wants a man who can take the lead.'_

"Heads up." Kakashi warned. Not even seconds later a gigantic bird crashed down where Naruto used to stand.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto shrieked.

"Maurnut. Massive, carnivorous birds that can spit out a glue-like substance to trap their prey." Shikamaru answered.

Naruto stared at him. "You're a walking encyclopedia, aren't you?"

Shikamaru ignored him. "It was finished with one hit. There's only one thing in Konoha that could do that."

Kakashi nodded. "Zoanthropes. We're getting close."

"Does that mean the break's over?" Shikamaru groaned.

Kakashi frowned at him. "You really _should_ work on your stamina."

"Shut up."

"Did you hear that?" Kakashi asked, suddenly.

"Growling." Naruto whispered, slightly surprised.

Shikamaru nodded. "They're close."

"To the ground." Kakashi said, dropping himself. "We have to be careful from now on. Let me do the talking."

Naruto anxiously walked next to Lee. The growling got louder and louder until they stumbled upon a mountain path. And sitting on top of a flat rock were two magnificent creatures.

At first glance, they looked like a giant leopard and eagle, but as they got closer Naruto realized that they had humanoid body shapes. Naruto tensed, but the rest just kept walking so he followed them.

When Kakashi stopped right in front of them, the leopard spoke in a deep, growling voice, "What is your purpose here?"

"We've come to discuss the possibility of an alliance." Kakashi said clearly.

Naruto gawked. _'_That _is_ _a zoanthrope?'_

_'Majestic creatures, are they not?' _Kyuubi purred. _'And dangerous. Proud and powerful. Very easily insulted.'_

The zoanthrope shook his furry head, staring disbelievingly at Kakashi. The eagle blinked bemusedly, "What is your purpose here?" He asked again.

"We wish to talk to your alpha," Kakashi repeated warily, "about the possi-"

"Hah!" The leopard interrupted. "Do not bother, human. We no longer wish to have any sort of relation with the human race."

"There is a reason for this." Kakashi said, determined to speak to their leader.

"Continue." The eagle said after a while.

"Three weeks ago, Konoha was attacked by the Uchiha clan. That day they stole a strange, glowing orb from us. None of us, however, knew it was there, what it is or what it can do." Kakashi took a deep breath. "We believe it was elf-made."

The two zoanthropes exchanged a look. "What made you think that?"

"The energy leaking from the orb was not magic, yet magic is the only thing that can be given a solid form or stored into an object. Then again, elf magic is different from ours or any other race's."

"And you believe that it is some kind of weapon?" The leopard growled, flicking its long, spotted tail.

"No, I am aware that the elfin kingdom was one of peace and serenity." Kakashi said. "But that does not mean that it can't be turned into one."

Both zoanthropes froze at that.

"Uchiha, you say?" The leopard whispered softly. Kakashi nodded. "Alright, you may pass."

Naruto released his breath. The eagle zoanthrope had flown ahead to warn the others. "Now what?" He said as they walked up the mountain path. "We just give their alpha the same story?"

"What else can we do?" Kakashi replied without looking back.

"Beg them, on hands and knees, not to hurt us?" Shikamaru muttered. Naruto was inclined to agree. His first impression, although awestruck, was not a very positive one. The fact that Kyuubi was standing on all fours, anxiously swishing its nine tails in his mind, wasn't helping.

"They won't hurt us." Neji said. She turned to Kakashi. "Right?"

"Don't be too sure. Humans have made a lot of mistakes."

"Let's hope that their alpha is a very forgiving one then." Naruto mumbled, when he spotted two impressive-looking lion zoanthropes guarding the entrance to a cave.

They nodded at them. "You may enter the pride, humans."

000

Preview for next chapter :

"Everything can be dangerous in the wrong hands." Shibi answered. "But to answer your question, yes, it could be. You should know that all types of energy can be used for destructive purposes. Elf magic is no exception."

"How?"

Shibi's eyes narrowed even more. "I don't see how that knowledge is going to prevent the Uchiha clan from doing what you fear."

"Of course." Kakashi replied hastily. "Then could you tell us how it is possible that the Uchiha clan knew of it, but we didn't?"

"Probably because it belonged to them in the first place."


	4. Chapter 4

Name – Goddess

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Kiba, Fem-Neji, Fem-Sasu, violence, (light) incest, language

Chapter Pairings – ShinoKiba, LeeNeji, (Mentions of past) KakaNeji, (Slight) ShikaKiba, NaruOC, (Slight) NaruSaku, (Slight) KakaIru, ItaSasu

Enjoy.

000

RogueFanAM – _Yes, Kyuubi knows exactly how to click its tongue if you know what I mean. But I have to disagree with you on the weak part. Or maybe you meant 'sensitive', I don't know. _

_The way I see it is that a person who has been locked up for most of their life, especially during their childhood when they are most vulnerable, will not react to emotions the same way as someone who has lived an entirely free life. _

_So in a way, Naruto, like Kyuubi, is still sort of inexperienced with emotions. Mainly because he's both scared of them, and because he knows he's sensitive to them at the same time. _

_Kyuubi knows all this. It knows exactly what Naruto wants to hear and what he's most afraid of. But due to its own inexperience with emotions it doesn't always know what it's doing when it comes to other emotions or the consequences of them. That's why it's trying to make Naruto focus only on the emotions it does understand. Which is mainly the ones they shared during Naruto's first eleven years in confinement: hatred, sorrow, anger, fear or paranoia even of being hurt or betrayed and so on._

_And don't worry about Sakura. She's just emotional. I think. I don't know. I wrote her response to Naruto's sudden change the same way she reacted to Sasuke's departure in the manga. She is no pussy cat though. _

_I dislike Mary-sues almost as much as I hate InsanelyAwesome!Naruto. I'm trying to not to focus too much on Sasuke, but more on the Uchiha clan in whole. I totally understand what you mean. But I assure you things are more complicating than that. At least, I'm trying to be original here. Sometimes I could fail._

_I'm glad you're also drawn to the adventure/fantasy aspects. But seeing as the romance/drama also plays a big part it isn't wrong to focus on that as well._

_Loving the length and detail in your review. Hope you enjoy this chapter._

Stigma – _Ah, I'm so glad you decided to give my story another chance and that you're also a fan of fantasy. I've never heard of Forgotten Realms though._

_I tried to keep the characters in character as much as possible. However, because they grew up under different circumstances in my story, I believed a few changes wouldn't be too farfetched. Neji, for example, is more outspoken and her snobbish personality is much clearer due to the fact the branch/main family is not an issue._

_I am positively giddy that you think my writing flows. Because sometimes I get the idea that I'm writing too cramped, that I'm putting too many important scenes after another. _

_Right, a hanyou is a half demon thing. Like Naruto's transformation stages or something. _

_Well, since Kyuubi is sealed into Naruto's soul and not his body, I doubt I could still make the transformation believable even if I wanted to. Which I don't. The only thing that I occasionally do is say that Naruto's eyes flash red._

_I love a more realistic and relatable Naruto. A Naruto who is streetwise, can think on his feet, but not intelligent like Shikamaru, Kakashi, Sasuke etc. A Naruto who is strong and determined, and grows into a better shinobi/warrior further into the story (not a perfect genius). And so on, and so on._

_I'm grateful that you understand why I'm putting so much emphasis in wanting reviews. However, I'm beginning to enjoy writing _Goddess_ and I'm forcing myself to be a little more patient._

_Hope you like this chapter as well._

Xox – _Not only is he more girly, but I believe he'd be a much prettier girl as well. I can totally see Fem!Sasuke looking like Boa Hancock from One Piece. The main reason as to why I updated so quickly was because I got impatient with myself. :P_

A12b24i96 _– Ah, the randomness. Got it :P. I'm glad you appreciate the fantasy aspects in the story. I'm a big fan of fantasy myself and couldn't stop myself from adding it to the story. And thank you for commenting on my little poetic work as well :P._

Jj – _Thank you for the compliments and your review. I'm glad you like it._

Master Solo – _Of course, it is. The main pairing is NaruSasu. I hope you like this chapter._000

_Chapter VIII – __Into The Pride_

Amazons turned out to be a lot different from what Naruto had expected. Unlike their male counterparts, the women were much more humanoid than their husbands and fathers. They were slender with long, graceful limbs, hairless tails and pointy ears. Their nails were sharp as were their teeth. They had large, golden irises and wild, spiky hair.

Every now and then, he would see one with small horns, wings or a small patch of scaled skin which probably meant their father had been a bird or reptile zoanthrope.

They were mostly naked, only bothering to cover their feet and arms with a few shiny trinkets here and there. The pregnant ones wore a sash around their middle while the ones who had recently given birth bound their breasts.

They weren't always pretty. Like with the girls back at Konoha, some were better-looking than others. But, despite that, each, no matter their appearance, possessed a raw, animalistic, sometimes even masculine, aura that made each of them attractive.

Naruto couldn't help but stare at them.

They were different from regular women. One look was enough to see that. These females didn't bother with silly things like fashion, cosmetics, weight loss and gossip. They were wives when they needed to be, mothers when the children were born, warriors when they had to be.

Kyuubi chuckled. _'You should take one of them before we leave.'_

Naruto didn't even protest. He was even considering it as he leered at a particularly buxom amazon with two ram-like horns poking out of her long, wild brown hair.

Yet, it was still odd to see, Naruto thought, as his eyes followed her to a small den, made comfortable with numerous sheets and pillows, in the wall of the cave where her husband and children were waiting. The wolf caught him staring and growled. He immediately looked away.

'_Do not be meek, little one, or they will see you as prey.'_ Kyuubi warned.

'_Right.' _Naruto said, nervously. He stayed close to the rest, but made sure not to look any of them in the eye. It couldn't be more obvious that they weren't pleased with their presence.

Naruto wasn't the only one standing on his toes. Shikamaru's back was ramrod straight and he kept his arms pressed to his sides as if he were afraid any unnecessary movements would set them off. Lee was standing protectively close to Neji with his fists clenched and jaw tight, his eyes darting left and right. Neji herself was sweating despite the cool inside of the cave.

Even Kakashi was showing signs of anxiousness. His fingers were trembling and his shoulders tense. He took in a large gulp of air when he stopped in front of a den, larger than the ones the other's had been laying in.

It was deep and dark. Naruto couldn't tell if it was empty or not, but it became clear that it wasn't when he heard something shift inside. Something large, larger than any of the other zoanthropes.

Kakashi slowly moved to bow and signed at the others to do the same. Reluctantly, Naruto fell to one knee. All of their heads snapped up when the alpha peered out of the darkness.

He was massive. He was one of the most wonderful creatures Naruto had ever seen. Naruto could not describe how awed he was by the sight of the alpha.

It was a panther. A panther with sleek, gleaming black fur – with a broad, masculine snout – with mezmerizing golden eyes.

"You are an unusual sight." He said with a low, rumbling voice that vibrated through Naruto's very veins.

"I am Hatake Kakashi of Konoha. I have come here with my team to discuss urgent news." Kakashi spoke. His voice had a slight tremor to it.

The alpha stared at him. "I am Aburame Shibi, alpha of the Aburame zoanthropes." He glanced down.

A tall amazon walked from out of the shadows. Everything from tip of her toes to the hair on her head told Naruto she was not a woman to be messed with. "I am Inuzuka Tsume, alpha of the Inuzuka amazons."

"We are honored to meet both you and your wife." Kakashi said humbly.

Tsume laughed, amused. "We are not wedded, human."

"Forgive me, I assumed-"

Tsume raised a clawed hand and Kakashi fell silent.

"Follow us and we will discuss your 'urgent news'." Shibi said, turning back towards the dark with Tsume in tow.

Everyone stood up and followed wordlessly.

Naruto was admittedly surprised to find a lit room behind the curtain of shadows. In the room were two others. A smaller, but serious-looking panther zoanthrope, who Naruto assumed was Shibi's son, and looked like he would one day become as fearsome and impressive as his father. And a young amazon with red triangles and a sour look on her face. A large dog-like creature was laying at her feet.

"This is Shino," Shibi stated, nudging the other zoanthrope lightly with his nose, "my son and eventual successor. And his wife, Kiba."

"They bonded today." Tsume added, giving Kiba a stern look. The young amazon immediately straightened though she kept the dark look.

"I congratulate you." Kakashi said with a bow. He had a slight 'so far, so good' look on his face.

"Now," Shibi began. "You had something you wanted to discuss? Something urgent?"

Naruto nearly choked when the air become tenser with every word Kakashi spoke.

"A glowing orb of strange energy." Shibi said with narrow eyes. "And you believe it was created by the elfin kingdom. And that the Uchiha clan is planning on using it to build a weapon."

"Yes."

Shibi sniffed. "Now, what is your question?"

"Do you, your Highness," Kakashi quickly added, "have any idea what it might be? What it was used for?"

"Those are very specific questions." Shino observed, his voice almost as deep as his father's.

"Indeed." Shibi said. "I would think you'd be more concerned on whether or not it _can_ be turned into a weapon."

Kakashi, as stiff and tense as the rest of the team, flinched. "Can the orb be turned into a weapon? Is it dangerous in the wrong hands?"

"Everything can be dangerous in the wrong hands." Shibi answered. "But to answer your question, yes, it could be. You should know that all types of energy can be used for destructive purposes. Elf magic is no exception."

"How?"

Shibi's eyes narrowed even more. "I don't see how that knowledge is going to prevent the Uchiha clan from doing what you fear."

"Of course." Kakashi replied hastily. "Then could you tell us how it is possible that the Uchiha clan knew of it, but we didn't?"

"Probably because it belonged to them in the first place."

Kakashi froze, as did Naruto and the rest. "I don't understand." Kakashi tried.

"The orb was not stolen from Konoha. The Uchiha clan merely took back what was rightfully theirs." Shibi explained.

"Then, how did the Uchiha clan get it?"

"Does it matter?"

Kakashi must have realized that they were pushing their luck and shook his head.

"Now, I have a question for you." Shibi said with a slight grin that made the hairs on Naruto's neck stand on end. "What was the orb doing in Konoha?"

"We honestly don't know."

"Liar." The alpha whispered. "It was locked away in a vault behind a tapesty. It was being protected."

"No one we know knew it was there."

Shibi stared long and hard at Kakashi. "What was the name of that king again?" He asked.

"Namikaze Minato."

"My father." Naruto said at the same time as Kakashi. He instantly regretted it when Shibi's narrowed eyes turned to him and everyone around him stopped breathing.

"Your father, huh? Tell me, young human, what the orb was doing in your father's memorial room?"

Naruto bravely met the alpha's stare. "I don't know."

Shibi continued to stare and didn't stop until Naruto had broken out in cold sweat. "We will continue this discussion tomorrow."

Tsume, who had been silent, but listening intently, nodded. "We have a celebration. You will join us, I hope?"

'_Like we have a choice.' _Naruto thought.

"What is this stuff that I'm drinking?" Lee politely asked a coyote zoanthrope, holding out a cup filled with green liquid.

"Other blood." Was the short answer after which both Lee and Naruto spat out their drinks. The coyote laughed. "I was joking. It's fruit juice."

"Lovely." Neji commented with a grimace, eyeing the juice -and spit stains before her.

Lee blushed. "Where's Kakashi?" He asked.

"Trying out the food."

"And Shikamaru?"

"Chatting up the alpha's daughter-in-law." Neji said.

Naruto was compelled to spit out his drink again. "What?" He said, coughing.

"I know. Sometimes, he's a complete moron. Especially when he's tipsy."

"He's going to get killed." Naruto deadpanned. "And he was bitching on about me being stupid."

"Maybe." Lee said.

"What do you mean 'maybe'?" Naruto demanded.

"You saw her face, didn't you? She didn't look very happy even though it's her wedding day. Can't really blame her though. He didn't look like a very sunny person."

"It was probably arranged. Their marriage, I mean." Neji stated. "Those usually end badly."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience." Naruto said before thinking.

Lee's face fell while Neji turned to glare at him. Naruto glared back, not planning on apologizing.

"Fantastic." Kakashi said, coming towards them with a plate full of meat. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you're all ready to kill each other. Where's Shikamaru?"

"Signing his death papers." Naruto mumbled.

"Say what?"

"He's flirting with Shino's wife." Neji snapped bluntly. "He got a little too excited when he learned that they have alcohol."

Kakashi groaned. "Tell me, he didn't." He whined, turning to Lee. Lee shrugged, sheepishly. "That idiot. I'm going to kill him."

"Please do." Naruto said, watching Kakashi leave again and pretending he didn't feel like telling him he forgot his plate. Neji shot him a look before following Kakashi.

Lee sighed. "I'm never going to get her, am I?"

"Who? Neji?" Naruto replied with a mouthful. Lee nodded. "Well, with the rate that you're going, I'd have to say, no. Forget it. Find another girl. A nicer one."

"Don't you think I've tried?" Lee said, sounding pained. "I have, trust me. I've tried falling for someone else, someone who's more likely to return my feelings, but it doesn't work that way."

"Maybe you should try acting more like Kakashi?" Naruto offered.

"No. I want her to like me for me."

"That's not going to happen as long as Kakashi's around."

"You really think she likes him?"

"Definitely." Naruto said, wishing he'd stop being so blunt. But it was difficult with Kyuubi lecturing him about wasting emotions while he talked. Not to mention he was starting to feel a little light-headed.

Lee frowned. "So, how are things with your fiancée going?" He asked, suddenly.

"Badly."

'_Do not just tell him that!' _Kyuubi hissed.

'_Why not?' _Naruto whined.

Kyuubi pauzed. _'You – are you drunk?'_

'_Eh...'_

"You know, that amazon over there has been looking at you the whole time." Lee said with a slight smile. "But you didn't hear that from me."

Naruto turned around, swaying slightly as he did so. And there she was. He immediately knew, because she was staring unblinkingly at him. She was pretty, not as pretty as Neji, but prettier than Sakura. Her shapely lips curved into a smile when she realized he was looking at her.

Naruto smirked and turned to Lee, but he was gone. Not really knowing what else to do, Naruto stumbled forwards. "Hi." He said.

The amazon's smile widened. "Hi."

"Uh, I'm Naruto." He tried, blinking rapidly.

"Mimi." She said shortly, still smiling. She reached out to lightly touch the faint scars on his cheek. "This is the first time I've seen a human."

Naruto nodded dumbly. She had the cutest nose. He wanted to kiss it. "Yeah."

"You are a very fine specimen." She purred. "If I may say so."

Naruto frowned. "You think so?"

She nodded sincerely. "Of course. With hair the color of sun and eyes like the sky. Such beautiful colors."

"Eh, thanks." Naruto muttered. He wondered if he should compliment her back. "You have a cute nose." He added, just to be safe.

She giggled before leaning into his ears and whispered, "Would you like to accompany me to my den, Naruto?"

Naruto felt shivers run down his spine. For a split second the image of Sakura popped up. But it shattered quickly with a burst of heat.

'_Follow her.' _Kyuubi purred. _'Let her show you what it is like to be touched by a powerful, true woman.'_

'_But Sakura-'_

'_Your love for her is gone. There is nothing that bounds you to her anymore.'_

Naruto stared at Mimi, letting his eyes run over each brilliant curves of her body. He noticed that she was more endowed than Sakura was and she was fit, each move she made caused several lines of muscles to dance.

Naruto smirked, accepting her hand. "Sure."

* * *

"You shouldn't have done that." Was the first thing Naruto heard when he crawled out of Mimi's den the next morning.

"Huh?" Naruto said, sleepily, blinking up at Kakashi.

Kakashi frowned disapprovingly. "You shouldn't have slept with her. You have a woman waiting for you back at Konoha. A woman that loves you very much."

Naruto shrugged, not really caring at the moment and still cautious of the Lone Wolf since their last conversation. "Why are you bitching at me and not Shikamaru? He did it with Kiba."

"No, he didn't." Kakashi sighed. "Neji-chan threatened to castrate him if he made a move on her. You're lucky she didn't know you were engaged or she would have giving you a beating as well."

Naruto shot him an irritated look. "You slept with her."

Kakashi's face fell. "What?"

"You heard me. You slept with Neji. And do not even think about lying. I can smell her all over you." Naruto snapped, getting even angrier. " Besides, I am breaking off the engagement as soon as we get back."

Kakashi flinched. "No, you're not. You can't do that."

"Oh, yes, I can." Naruto spat. "And I will. I no longer have feelings for Sakura. It will be useless to pretend otherwise."

Kakashi began to panic. He honestly believed that if anyone could penetrate through Kyuubi's hold on Naruto, it would be Sakura. And the demon probably knew that. It was doing everything it could to break what little bond they had left so that nothing could stop it's influence. "You love Sakura."

"I do not." Naruto hissed, stubbornly.

"Yes, you do. Kyuubi is the one who dislikes her. Kyuubi is the one who wants her gone. Not you." Kakashi snapped.

Naruto growled at him and, for a moment, his eyes flashed red. Kakashi jumped back. But, fortunately, nothing else happened. "Forget it. I am through talking with you."

Kakashi closed his eyes as Naruto passed him. This was a lot harder then he had anticipated. He began to worry that he had started too soon. That, maybe, he should've waited until Naruto trusted him more.

With a sigh, Kakashi followed Naruto to where the rest of the team was, hoping that there was still a way of winning his trust. He looked at his team. Shikamaru and Neji were glaring at each other. Naruto had an angry look on his face and Lee looked like his birthday had been cancelled.

Kakashi prayed to Minato for strength before plastering a smile on his face. "Well, aren't you all looking bright and happy."

They grumbled darkly in reply.

"That's nice." Kakashi said without missing a beat.

"We should leave while we're still alive." Shikamaru groaned through his hangover. "I honestly doubt they're planning on telling us any more. And I'm not keen on getting interrogated again."

"It's _raining_." Neji commented with a sour face.

"You won't melt from a little rain, Neji-chan." Kakashi pointed out.

"I think she's more worried about her precious hair." Naruto grumbled, remembering how long she took every day to groom it. He ignored the glare she cast his way.

Kakashi sighed, looking tired. "Shikamaru's right. We should leave before our luck runs out. We can forget an alliance. As always they only think the worst of us."

"Can't blame them." Lee mumbled, narrowing his eyes at Kakashi.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

Lee shook his head wordlessly.

"Alright." Shikamaru said, getting off the floor. "I'm ready to go."

"You sure about that?" Naruto muttered to himself, as Shikamaru swayed a little. "Anyway, are they just going to let us leave?"

"I don't see why not." Kakashi replied, still eyeing Lee. "Is everyone set?"

"No." Neji said. "I lost one of my slippers."

"Oh? Well, when did you last have it?" Neji gave Kakashi a look. "Ah, right. Don't you have any other footwear?"

"Would I bother complaining about my slipper if I did?"

"Yes." Everyone, but Lee, chorused.

Neji huffed.

000

_Chapter IX – __Demon Lullaby, Part II_

All the men at the table straightened when their king entered the room. Several of them, those who had been unprepared for the sudden meeting, squirmed nervously in their seats.

Uchiha Sasuke was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but she had not been given the thrown instead of her older brother because of her looks. She sighed with a bored expression, running slender fingers through her long, black hair. "Speak." Was the murmured, vague order.

But everyone knew what she was referring to. One of the older men quickly stood up. "Your Majesty, forgive me, but we still don't know the exact location of the second orb."

"Oh?" Sasuke replied softly, still examing the charts spread out before her. "So, you're telling me there has been no progress at all?"

The man nodded, looking ashamed. "We've worked as hard as we could. But our spies-"

"Eight days," Sasuke interrupted, the hawk on her shoulders glaring at the unfortunate man, "you were given to find it."

The man flinched. "We know it's in Suna."

"Suna is a large capital city, Yashiro."

Itachi, Sasuke's handsome older brother and husband, smirked as the man began to stutter. "I assume you've already thought of searching their underground tunnels?"

Yashiro clenched his fists. "We were getting there."

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Sasuke whispered, finally looking up. "Chikara, darling, alert Hawk."

The hawk squawked and took off. The men were silent. Yashiro reseated himself shakingly. Their king was calling her personal team of hand-selected warriors, collected from all over the world. She might as well have called them all failures.

Sasuke smiled pleasantly at them. "Anyone else?"

Another, younger man stood. "Konoha has taken action. Several teams have been spotted leaving in different directions. One of them didn't seem to have a heading."

Sasuke pursed her pouty lips. "They're searching for something."

"Answers, most likely." Itachi added.

"And who else can give it to them, but the mighty zoanthropes and amazons."

"Indeed." Itachi smirked. "I doubt they'll be very cooperative however. They know the orbs are ours by right."

The man cleared his throat. "There is something else. The demon child is a part of that team."

Sasuke froze. As did Itachi, after glancing at his sister. "What did you say, Shisui?" She said softly, her red eyes blazing.

Shisui nervously glanced at the healing scratch marks above the king's cleavage. "The demon child was with them., Your Majesty."

Sasuke's face become stone-cold. "Why?" She demanded through clenched teeth. "Why did they add him to the team? Why trust him after years of hatred and suspicion?"

"Probably because the demon is acting up." Itachi whispered gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No." Sasuke said, shaking her head lightly. "That doesn't make sense. If that were the case then they'd lock him up. Not send him into the open world."

"Unless they believe he can be controlled." Shisui said carefully. "Or persuaded to fight for their side, at least. Hatake Kakashi, the Lone Wolf is also on the team. It is likely that he has something to do with it due to his past with the demon child's father."

Sasuke hissed in anger. "Itachi?"

"Yes, love?"

"There is a slight change in the plans." Sasuke whispered. "Inform Hawk of their mission."

Itachi nodded. "Which is?"

"The assassination of Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

"Assassination?" Suigetsu repeated, looking delighted.

Itachi nodded. "Remember, we are still trying to keep things in the shadows as much as possible which means-"

"Yeah, yeah. Which means we gotta take out the whole team so they won't go telling everybody. Gotcha." Suigetsu said excitedly. "I can't wait."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Suigetsu?"

"Yes, Itachi-san?"

"Sasuke also told me to inform you that Sai is leading this mission."

Suigetsu's face fell. "_What?_ Him? But-but he's a double agent! He also works for someone else!" He whispered harshly.

Itachi smirked. "We are well aware of that."

"Then why-" Suigetsu's eyes lit up. "Ah, to gain his trust, I see."

"And to test how far he will go to keep his cover. Now, join the others."

Suigetsu bowed and vanished.

"_He's_ the leader?" Karin shrieked five minutes later, pointing her sharp nails at Sai, who looked as shocked as she was.

Juugo nodded, accepting the order. "If that is what Sasuke-sama wishes then so be it."

"Uzumaki Naruto is male, in his late teens and around 6 feet tall. He has lightly tanned skin, blond hair and blue eyes." Itachi deadpanned, unfazed by the oddness of his wife's favorite team. "He has whisker-like scars on both cheeks and a relatively large seal on his stomach. We have yet to discover his abilities other than having a demon inside of him."

"He sounds cute." Karin said with a smirk. Itachi glared at her. "Not nearly as cute as you are though."

Rolling his eyes, Itachi continued. "The team he is with has four other members including the leader. A Nara clan member, male, also in his late teens, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. A Hyuuga clan member, female, in her early twenties, with long brown hair and the signature pale eyes. An unknown warrior, male, early twenties, presumed to be a combat artist. Their leader is Hatake Kakashi."

"The Lone Wolf?" Karin said, looking delighted. "I heard he's incredibly dreamy."

Itachi scowled in her direction, but not before noticing Sai stiffening at the mention of the Lone Wolf. "The targeted team is searching for a tribe, or pride if you will, of zoanthropes and amazons. Most likely the Aburames and Inuzukas. That means they are bound to be somewhere in the Reckless Woods."

"Reckless Woods, huh?" Suigetsu said with an annoyed expression on his face. "Looks like we're gonna need some supplies first then." He turned to Sai. "But you knew that, of course, didn'tcha?"

Sai narrowed his eyes. "Of course."

Itachi watched the exchange with interest. "Do not fail." He said with a stern look.

Suigetsu smirked, his eyes still on Sai. "We wouldn't dare."

* * *

Sasuke was staring at the faint wounds on her chest with a frown when Itachi walked into their private chambers. "Don't worry, love, it won't leave any scars. And even if it will, you would still be the finest woman in the world."

Sasuke rolled her eyes. "Aren't you romantic."

Itachi smirked. "I try." Then he turned serious. "You are worried about something, love, I can tell. Is it him?"

Sasuke's frowned returned. "No. Soon, he will no longer be a problem."

"You put too much faith into them."

"They haven't disappointed me yet."

"The key word being 'yet'." Itachi replied. "If it's not the demon child, then, what is worrying you?"

"The consequences." Sasuke said softly.

Itachi stifferened slightly, noticing the hints of vulnerability laying underneath the emotionless whisper. He walked to her and embraced her, placing his chin on top of her head. "The consequences of what, love?"

"Everything." Sasuke answered. "Even if we succeed I fear it won't be enough."

Itachi said nothing. Instead, he gently grabbed the hand that was still caressing the marks under her collarbone and led her to the king-sized bed. "You should rest."

Sasuke scowled when a hand slipped under her kimono. "This is not resting."

Itachi merely smirked.

* * *

After searching for Neji's slipper for twenty minutes, the team finally left.

"Well, this is just great." Naruto said irritably, following the rest down the mountain path. "Eleven days worth of searching for what?"

"The information he gave was more valuable than you think, Naruto." Kakashi said.

"Oh? He told us the orb could be turned into a weapon. Something we already knew. And he told us the orb belonged to the Uchiha clan and yet, it somehow ended up in Konoha behind my father's tapestry which I still don't buy 'cause it had been there for a thousand years and if I remember my history lessons correct then there were no Uchihas in Konoha back then." Naruto said. "If you ask me, the only think we got was more questions."

"Questions can be as valuable as answers." Shikamaru pointed out with a yawn.

"How so?"

"You can't find the answer without knowing the question." Neji stated.

"Exactly." Kakashi said as they walked back into the Reckless Woods. "Alright, back into the woods."

"You're not going to sing again, are you?" Shikamaru drawled. "I'm sure you've got a lot of impressive talents, but singing isn't one of them."

Kakashi glared at him. _"Why do they call it the Reckless Woods? Because if the tree-" _

"Kakashi!_"_ Neji hissed.

"Fine, fine. No need to shout, Neji-chan."

'_No need to shout, Neji-chan.' _Naruto copied in his mind. _'That bastard.'_

'_I told you he would take her. It is hard not to with that doll face of hers all flustered and sweaty.'_

'_He should have known Lee is in love with her. He is supposed to be so smart.'_

'_Intelligence and emotions have nothing to do with each other. Mainly because there is nothing logical or predictable about emotions.'_

'_So what? He still should have known.'_ Naruto looked at Neji_, 'Then again, she did keep shoving her pretty self in his face.'_

Kyuubi sniffed. _'That does not mean he had to react.'_

'_But she made him, didn't she?' _Naruto wondered, his anger suddenly gone. _'It is kind of her fault.'_

'_It is not her fault. She recognized the wolf as an able mate and acted upon her attraction. It is _his_ fault for responding. His!' _Kyuubi growled.

Naruto stared at Kakashi. _'But he doesn't seem like the type who'd intentionally hurt someone.'_

'_It does not matter. He is to blame.'_

Naruto wasn't so sure. A large part of him wanted to point his finger at Kakashi, but then again, was he any better? He had cheated on his fiancée, avoided her and made her cry.

'_Stop it! What is wrong with you?' _

'_I don't know. I've been thinking about what Kakashi said to me a lot.'_

'_Do not listen to him!'_

'_But you said it yourself. He would spill the most dangerous secrets to win my trust. Why would he lie?' _Naruto countered, catching the demon off guard. _'You know, lately I've been getting the feeling that you haven't been entirely honest with me either.'_

Kyuubi remained silent, but Naruto could feel heat forming in his stomach.

He tried to ignore it. _'For one, you never did tell me what happened after I blacked out the day the Uchihas attacked Konoha.'_

'_Your body collapsed, little one.' _Kyuubi said carefully. Its voice soft and gentle.

'_That's not the only thing that happened.' _Naruto persisted, flinching in pain. _'If you won't tell me, I'll ask Kakashi.'_

'_No!'_

'_Then tell me.'_

'_The Uchiha and I fought.' _Kyuubi growled.

'You_ fought the Uchiha?'_ Naruto repeated, slightly horrified. _'You were in control of my body.'_

Kyuubi smirked lovingly. _'I did it to protect you, little one.'_

And then, all of a sudden, it hit Naruto. _'You're a demon.'_

Kyuubi blinked. _'I know I am.'_

'_A wicked, vengeful creature of mass destruction.' _

Kyuubi narrowed its eyes. _'I love you, little one. I would never hurt you. I protected you.'_

Naruto shook his head. _'I know you love me. I know you'd protect me. But you would destroy everything else.' _Naruto's heart pounded. _'Until I'm the only one left.'_

Kyuubi clicked its tongue, giving Naruto a strange, impending look. _'Not if you do not want me to.'_

Naruto laughed bitterly. _'Yeah, it's safe to say that now, isn't it. Soon we'll be one mind, and you know that by then I'd be too far gone to care about what you do to the world. You'll be in control. Just like you were then. Free to destroy everything in your way. Everything that you hate. You're a despicable creature, aren't you?'_

Kyuubi roared and Naruto lurched forward as tremendous pain shot through his body. He barely prevented himself from falling off the branch. But it didn't matter because soon enough he was blinded by the pain and walked right off the edge.

He could faintly hear Lee shouting his name as he dropped to the floor. Kyuubi's roar had turned into whines. The sound was so loud it nearly burst his eardrums.

'_I'm sorry!' _Naruto shouted desperately. _'I'm sorry! Please! Stop!'_

'_How could you?' _The demon whined, sounding like it was in as much agony as Naruto was. _'How could you say that? Do you not love me?'_

'_I'm sorry!' _Naruto tried again. _'I do love you! I'm sorry!'_

'_LIAR!'_

Naruto choked as the pain overwhelmed him and lost consciousness.

000

_Chapter X – Hawk_

When Naruto woke up again it was dark. He was laying inside his tent with a bag of cool water on his forehead and Neji checking his pulse.

"Want some water?" She asked, her voice unusually gentle. Naruto nodded, thankful that he didn't have to ask for it. "I figured your throat would be too sore from all that screaming." She said as if she had read his mind.

Naruto lifted his mouth to the glass. "Ah, much better." Naruto said, though his throat was still raw. He blinked up at her. "I was screaming?"

She nodded. "Nonstop since you fell of that branch." She gave him an odd look. "You must be hungry."

"Not really." Naruto lied. He was starving, but he didn't want to try swallowing anything besides water any time soon.

"I'll inform the others that you've regained consciousness." Neji said. Naruto shifted. "_Don't look at my butt!_"

"I wasn't." Naruto lied again, both annoyed and happy that Neji was her usual snobbish, snappy self instead of the strange motherly figure with that uncomfortable look on her face.

'_Kyuubi?' _He tried after he was certain she was gone.

Silence.

'_Kyuubi?' _But the demon did not answer. It was almost like it had disappeared.

He was going to say something else when Neji crawled back into his tent. "Where is Kakashi?"

"Busy." Neji said shortly.

"Busy? With what?" Naruto said, not believed it.

"With Lee." She snapped.

"Oh." Naruto's face fell. "Did they fight?"

Neji narrowed her eyes. "How would you know that?"

Naruto stared at her. "Because any fool with half a brain knows Lee has feelings for you."

Neji flinched. She looked away abrubtly.

"Did Kakashi know?" Naruto asked.

Neji nodded. "That's why he rejected me." She whispered.

"He rejected you? But I could smell you on him." Naruto said, before blushing when Neji turned to him with a frown.

"We did do _some_ things, but we didn't sleep together." She said slowly, looking slightly ashamed. "He turned me away before that could happen."

"Oh. Okay." Naruto said, not really knowing what else to say. "So, eh, are you going after Lee now? I mean-"

"No." Neji interrupted.

Naruto frowned. "Why not?"

"Because my family and clan will never allow it." She sighed. "It will only give him false hope."

"Not if his feelings are returned." Naruto persisted.

"It would still be doomed from the start." Neji replied just as stubbornly.

"Damnit, he loves you, woman. Who cares what your clan thinks?"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Neji growled, pinching Naruto's ear and pulling it hard.

"Ow!" Naruto howled. "I'm only trying to help!"

"You've got a lot of nerve to-" She stopped suddenly. "Did you hear that?"

"No." Naruto moaned, clutching his throbbing ear. A large _boom_ followed causing him to sit up straight.

"Wait here." Neji said as she crawled out of the tent.

'_Kyuubi?' _Naruto tried again as he anxiously waited for Neji to return. He could've sworn he heard a faint cry somewhere in the back of his mind. _'Kyuubi?'_

Maybe he'd just imagined it? He jumped when another loud _boom_ echoed. Then he heard footsteps and a strange noise as if something was sniffing the ground.

'_Run.' _Came a faint whisper.

Naruto didn't need telling twice. He soundlessly twisted out from under the covers and crawled out of the back of the tent and under a large root. Carefully, he rolled around, rubbing himself against the dirt and leaves, trying to mask his scent. He swallowed his groan as his muscles protested.

'_Kyuubi?' _Naruto said once again.

'_Run.'_

Puzzled, Naruto remained where he was until he heard the sniffing noises getting louder. But there was no way out. He cried out in shock when the tree he was hiding under was upturned. He quickly dived away from it before it crushed him and spotted someone laying not far away from him.

An albino male wearing a black armored mask. Without warning, he opened his eyes. The albino smirked and said something when he saw him.

Naruto didn't stop to think. He called forth a blast of wind. Without checking to see if he had hit him, Naruto forced his body to run. But not even a second later the albino was standing right in front of him.

Naruto barely managed to evade the sharp blade that slashed the rather thick trunk of a tree next to him. He clenched his teeth when a bone-deep fire shot up his spine. He heard the albino say something in a language he didn't understand and suddenly he was surrounded by water. It pressed against him, holding him in position.

'_Kyuubi!' _Naruto shouted in his panic, though knowing it was no use. He choked on the water as the pressure nearly crushed his lungs. _'Kyuubi!'_

The water disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Naruto watched with wide eyes as the albino male screamed while his skin seemed to crack. Black smoke came from the tears in his skin.

'_Run.'_

But Naruto couldn't move out of both pain and shock. Slowly, the light beams faded. And the albino, breathing harshly, hissed something before pulling out his sword and lunged at him.

Naruto closed his eyes, waiting for the impact. But it never came. Instead, he heard a yelp. When he opened his eyes, Lee was standing in front of him. "Are you alright?" He asked, worriedly.

"No, I'm not alright!" Naruto snapped. "I'm supposed to be resting, damnit!"

Lee smiled. "Ah, you're fine."

Naruto glared at him. "Who are they?"

"Assassins." Lee answered shortly as he lifted Naruto onto his back. "Hold on, I'm bringing you to safety."

"Assassins? Safety?"

"They're after _you_."

* * *

Shikamaru didn't even have time to blink. The pale-skinned assassin launched attack after attack, using all of his abilities to try and eliminate him. He jumped out of the way when two white-black tiger-like creatures came towards him after being summoned.

Shikamaru instantly knew that his enemy was nervous. The young man was sweating even though he hadn't even moved from his spot once. His face was tinted grey and judging from the bags under his eyes he hadn't slept for a while.

The full-out offensive strategy was a clear giveaway that the pale-skinned assassin was panicking in fear of the consequences if he failed. It would only be a matter of time before he slipped up and made a mistake.

The pale-skinned assassin, realizing that what he was currently doing wasn't working, pulled out a sword. But before he could make it to his target a shadowy tentacle pierced through his bicep. He yelped, face twisting in pain.

Shikamaru jumped when another creature shot towards him. He flinched when the assassin appeared before him and cut him across his stomach. Narrowing his eyes, he set another diagnoses.

This guy wasn't as easy to defeat as he thought.

Neji didn't know what to think. The red-haired assassin hadn't moved since she first tried to slice her in two. She simply stared at her with narrowed eyes.

"You're very pretty, aren't you?" She finally said, her eyes turning to slits. "I don't like that. I don't like that at all."

Neji took her fighting stance as the woman came towards her. She blocked all the blows, but immediately noticed that the red-haired assassin was strong. Stronger than an ordinaire human should be. But she was much too slender to be a combat artist. Neji scowled when she realized that the enemy was getting stronger and stronger with each hit.

"How dare you be more beautiful than I!" The woman screamed. "Only Sasuke-sama... Only Sasuke-sama is allowed that!"

Neji frowned as she began her counter-attack, noting that her speed wasn't as impressive as her strength. The name was not a familiar one, but it was definitely a Mangekyan name.

"Sasuke-sama? Is she an Uchiha perhaps?" Neji taunted, hoping for more spilled information.

"She is not just any Uchiha, she is the king! The greatest woman ever born! Marks my word, little Hyuuga, she will lead this world to greatness!"

Neji forced her face to remain calm. "I doubt it. She doesn't have to be that great to impress someone like you."

The red-haired assassin seethed. Her deceivingly cute face twisted until it no longer looked human. "Puny human, you have no idea what you're up against."

"A zoanthrope?" Naruto whispered incredulously.

"He's a wanderer. He doesn't belong to a tribe or pride." Lee replied, equally as silent.

"What's the damn difference?" Naruto hissed.

"A tribe either only has amazons or zoanthropes. A pride is a tribe of amazons and zoanthropes who travel as one. I think." Lee added quickly, sounding unsure.

The tiger zoanthrope stood unmoving for several seconds before dropping to all-fours, sniffing the earth.

"So he's the one that sniffed me out?" Naruto thought out loud. Lee sushed him, but it was already too late.

The zoanthrope's ears twitched and his head turned to where they were hiding. He bared his teeth, claws ready to tear flesh.

"This is bad." Lee whispered. "Even I can't outrun a zoanthrope."

"Where's Kakashi?" Naruto hissed. Just when he said that a menacing squawk echoed through the trees. Seconds later, the tiger zoanthrope was battling the eagle zoanthrope from before. "Huh?"

"Territorial fight. He doesn't belong to their pride so he's a danger to their women and children. Or something. Ask Shikamaru." Lee said, shaking his head. "Theory was never my strongest point at the Academy."

Naruto smirked as Lee sped off, trying to ignore the way his arms were screaming and feeling himself becoming dizzy. "I think I'm going to throw up." He moaned.

"What?"

"Slow down."

"I can't." Lee said, desperately trying to avoid getting puked on and unconsciously loosening his grip on Naruto. "They'll catch up to us."

Naruto dropped his head on Lee's shoulder, willing his stomach to behave normally. But it churned in protest instead. He gagged. "Lee." He managed to choke out in warning.

Lee staggered in surprise just when a blast of sand and leaves knocked him off his feet, and the two zoanthropes came rolling from out of the trees.

Naruto staggered back when he was nearly crushed by them, barely dodging one of their sharp claws. He only had time to study the deep scratch marks it had left behind before doubling over. He closed his eyes in disgust as he tasted acid.

'_Run.'_

'_I can't!' _Naruto thought back furiously without thinking. He gasped for breath, shuddering at the taste in his mouth. He could feel cold sweat running down his back.

Naruto groaned in surprise when someone lifted him up by his collar. An enemy. Lee would have been more gentle.

'_Run.'_

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, embraced his nervous fear and tensed every aching muscle in his body. The results were immediate. Whoever had gripped him screamed and flung him away. A woman, judging by the high-pitch. Or something female, at least.

He forced his eyes open, but was unprepared for the sight before him. She was gigantic, 10 feet at least, with a muscular, barely feminine build. Her legs looked animalistic and were insanely long while her feet were replaced by hooves. Her long, spiky hair swayed as she squirmed on her feet, clutching her head until the smoke disappeared. Her upperbody slumped in exhaustion.

Hours seemed to pass before she recollected herself. She wore the same black armored mask as the albino male. So she was an assassin as well.

Naruto was about to create a gust of wind, if only to buy him some time to hide, when the she-thing tore of her mask revealing a monstrous mouth full of sharp, hooked teeth. Her predatory smile was so wide that nearly cut her face in half. "The hell!" He yelled in shock.

With a inhumane cry she jumped at him. Naruto tried to make a run for it, but she was too fast. He was violently snatched out of the air by his head. Her claws dug into his skull. "That was a nasty little trick." She hissed. Naruto recoiled when a sharp nail traced the scars on his face. "Such a shame I have to eat you. I would've enjoyed seeing your beautiful eyes tear in pain some more."

"Eat me?" Naruto gasped.

She nodded with a sadistic glint in her eyes and giggled, a sound too sweet to be coming from such a shocking mouth. "I'll be sure to start at the bottom so I can enjoy that handsome face of yours while I can."

She leaned closer and huffed in his face. "See the hooks on my teeth? They render struggling useless." And she opened her mouth to a gaping hole.

But Naruto wasn't listening. He was looking at the thick tree branch sneaking up behind her. With one swift movement it had wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her back. However, she refused to let go of her prey.

Naruto flinched as he was dragged painfully across the ground. The monstrous female assassin struggled against the gorgonsire, but another branch tied her legs together. He cried out when she landed on top of him before the both of them were once again dragged off.

"No!" Naruto yelled, as soon as he spotted the massive, impending gorgonsire tree, "I'm not going down like this!"

He struggled against the assassin's hold as a sudden heavy rain poured down, but it only seemed to tighten. She hissed at him, her mouth opening once again to swallow him. He kicked her, again and again, until he managed to stomp her tongue down on one of her teeth. She screamed shortly, the gorgonsire had slammed them against its trunk which silenced her.

The impact had dislocated one of Naruto's shoulders. _'It's nothing.' _He said to himself. _'It's nothing. Bite it!'_

He kicked her again. _'Where's Kakashi?' _He thought furiously to keep himself from concentrating on the overwhelming pain his already beaten body was going through, half-hearing the thunder cackling in the dark clouds above, _'Where's Lee? Where's Neji? Hell, where's Shikamaru, that bastard!'_

He panicked when he felt strong twigs itch against his skin, but he kept kicking, praying she'd let him go. But she didn't. Despite the situation and her pain, she refused to let him go. Naruto screamed in fury, urging his legs to kick harder. "You're _not_ taking me down with you!"

Lightning struck the gorgonsire. It recoiled and, for a moment, Naruto heard an unbelievably high-pitched scream that hurt his ears before it became too high for him to hear as its top burst into flames. The branch holding the woman swung through the air, releasing them suddenly.

Naruto closed his eyes, preparing himself for another painful impact, but it never came. He was caught mid-air by someone. Or something. Whatever it was, it was huge. Naruto scowled, preparing to struggle, thinking it was the she-thing.

"You are a determined survivor, aren't you?" A smooth, vaguely familiar voice said.

"You." Naruto breathed, not sure if he should feel relieved or even more afraid as he stared wide-eyed at the eagle zoanthrope. He glanced around and saw a white-black line bird that looked like it had been drawn fly away.

"Call me Torune."

When he looked down he saw several zoanthropes and some of the larger amazons, including Shino and Tsume, tear after the tiger zoanthrope who was carrying what looked like the human-version of the she-thing. The albino was nowhere in sight.

"Where are the others?"

"Safe." Was all Torune said as he flew back towards the mountain. "I'm glad that we found you in time. Our alpha was not pleased with your sudden departure."

Naruto's giddy, victorious feeling vanished.

000

Preview for next chapter :

The black panther zoanthrope stood, as magnificently as always, before them, staring them all down. "You left without saying goodbye." Shibi said, golden eyes narrowing. "That was very rude of you."

"Forgive us."

"Silence." Kakashi clamped his mouth shut. "You are lucky I sent Torune and my son after you or you would have been killed."

Kakashi looked like he wanted to protest, but remained silent.

Shibi smirked. A look which reminded Naruto of Kyuubi. "At first my only intentions were to ask some simple questions about your country and maybe even give you some history lessons in return. But you have taken advantage of our kindness and patience. Furthermore, my son noticed something very interesting when he was following you."

Naruto froze when the golden glare landed on him.

"You had the nerve to bring such a creature into our midst."


	5. Chapter 5

Name – Goddess

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Kiba, Fem-Neji, Fem-Sasu, violence, (light) incest, language

Chapter Pairings – ShinoKiba, LeeNeji, (Slight One-Sided) OCNaru, (Slight) NaruSaku, (Slight) KakaIru, ItaSasu

Enjoy.

000

Stigma – _Right on! You completely figured it out. Yes, the zoanthropes are extremely wary of the human race. But seeing as what they did to the elves – well, they have reasons to be._

_Yep, gotta love drama. That's the hard part with love in times of war. Your heart suddenly doesn't seem to be your first priority anymore. _

_They did appear a little weak against Hawk, didn't they?I did that intentionally, because reason A: they were trying to find out who had sent them and reason B: you will find out in this chapter. (And excuse A: I was nervous 'cause I'd never written a fighting scene before and didn't want them to come across as all super-powerful.)_

_Naruto, however, was still hurt because of what Kyuubi did to him. And as to how he did it (although it is explained in the upcoming chapter, but I don't know if you'll still be willing to read my story after this chapter), is because Kyuubi possesses the hades element which, unlike normal elements, is not powered by the energy that the body produces. That's how Kyuubi could hurt him._

_I can completely understand if the ItaSasu interaction freaked you out, especially since you didn't see the warning. I'm not going to launch into a full-out detailed explanation about my opinions on the matter (seeing as I'm still very much confused about the whole thing, really). However, I am going to shamelessly try to convince you to overlook it._

_I can't cut it out seeing as I will have to rewrite all the chapters I've written so far, not to mention change a point in the plot. But I can assure you that you won't read anything drastic. I, personally, think that the scene in the last chapter is about the steamiest thing you'll read about them. _

_The thought of writing a rape scene makes me shiver. Rape is not sexy to me. It is a serious matter so I'm a little downput by the fact that you compared the two. In my opinion incest is a lot less worse seeing as it can be consensual._

_I hope you'll bear with me for a little longer despite your understanding issues with incest because I simply adore your reviews. But, like I said, it is understandable. I don't think you are whining at all. Incest, in reality, is a big issue as well._

Harco8059 – _Correction, you are awesome for reviewing. Not to mention for being a fellow Fem!Sasu lover! Yay! :P_

Diamondsr-4ever-so-am-i – _Aw, thank you. I'm glad you like it and agree with me that Naruto shouldn't be evolved into a godly being. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

RogueFanAM – _Aw, thank you. I was trying to make the connection between Kyuubi and Naruto more complicating and intense. Mainly because Kyuubi plays a bigger part in my story than in the actual story line._

_A majority of it was Kyuubi's fault. It was trying it's hardest to break those two up and Naruto, being all vulnerable to Kyuubi's smooth tongue and tender I love yous, went right along with him. _

_I, myself, despise cheaters as well. But I wanted to make it a little clear just how influencial Kyuubi was getting. _

_Also, I have a few things up my sleeve for dear Sakura-chan. She is a tough woman, despite being emotional._

_I gave Sasuke the male title because I adore women with male titles. To me, it makes them sound more powerful and respected by both genders._

_And, yes, they are emotionally retarded :P. Very much so. But then again, they have reasons to be I suppose._

_Kiba and Shino, yes, they will get a bigger part soon._

_Yes, there is Uchihacest, but it's light. You aren't the only one who overlooked it :P. If they're going to be aristocratic... hmmm, I'm not so sure. Could you be more precise?_

_You forgot Juugo! And thank you. I was afraid people would think there was a little too much happening in the fighting scene, but I'm glad you liked it. And Karin... yes, she would so totally be a 10 ft tall she-thing. She's not an amazon though._

_Thank you again. And please, prattle on all you want. I'm still loving the opinion you put in your review. It makes me giddy :P_

Evil Angel4 – _You make me blush. So many compliments! Thank you. _

_I have to agree with you. I don't only love a little darkness in Naruto, but I feel like it is more realistic. No one is completely pure-hearted._

_I cannot answer the first two questions without giving away the plot. As for Sasuke being a boy... she isn't. Everyone just thinks she is. _

_I can't answer the mother/baby question either, sorry. Naruto was captivated by them because the aphrodite plague was supposed to have destroyed all hopes for reproduction. It rendered all human women infertile so the last generation (which included Naruto) have never seen a baby. So there isn't really a connection between them._

_I didn't erase chapter four. It's probably FF being stupid again. If you can't read it even though I posted the next chapter tell me and I'll send it to you. Though you're going to have to tell me how._

_Hope you can read this chapter and the fourth, and that you like them as well._

SparkyOne – _Aw, thank you for thinking my story has potential. _

_Well, like I wrote, _most _of it is in Naruto's point of view. Most is not equal to all. In fact, there are parts coming in other characters' POV. As for the reason to why Naruto couldn't tell that Sasuke was female... that is because, when the Uchiha clan attacked Konoha, both Sasuke and Itachi were disguised by magic. _

_The cut mark was caused by Naruto... sort of. After Kyuubi took control over Naruto's body he fought with Sasuke. That's where she got the cut mark from._

_I know what you mean regarding the zoanthropes. The thing is, I have the tendency to go too much into detail. Once I do that I totally lose sight of the plot and don't know how to put it in anymore. I thought that discreetly leaving a hint or two, combined with the reader's imagination would be efficient enough. I could've been wrong._

_The size of the zoanthrope depends on the animal species and clan. In the case of the Aburame zoanthropes, the felines are bigger than the others. The average zoanthrope can grow up to be around 3 meters (I'm Europian) while the alpha is usually around 3.5 to 4 meters. _

_Appearance-wise, they basically look like giant, bipedal animals. They look exactly like their animal species, only their body is shaped like that of a human man._

_I can understand that the fight scene was a little confusing. Alright, the assassin Shikamaru fought against was Sai. The tiger zoanthrope was Juugo. Both the redheaded female and she-thing was Karin. She transformed, she isn't human. _

_I purposefully made it sudden (Kyuubi's 'disappearance', that is). Trust me, there will be more coming._

_Yes, Naruto did borrow armor because his old armor was too shabby. _

_Because Naruto doesn't have a lot of money, he was given the standard armor so his isn't as fancy as that of Kakashi, Shikamaru, Neji or even Lee. The armor worn by Kakashi, Shikamaru and Neji were specially made for them. That's one of the reasons as to why I thought detailing their appearance would take up too much space and time._

_Anyway, on to the description._

_Konoha's standard armor is dark green so it blends in with the flora of the Reckless Woods. __The armor itself is pretty simple. It exists out of three things: chain mail, armor plates and leather straps. _

_His regular battle attire is also a bit simple. A black tanktop, black baggy pants with an orange line on the side, orange bandana and steel-toed boots._

_The chain mail is tight as it is made out of a stretchable metal so it's worn mostly under his regular battle attire, except for the bare parts on his arms __and a bit above his collarbone where it is visible. _

_Fingerless gauntlets with protective armor plates which covers most of his underarm till his elbow. The upperarm is covered by chain mail and armor plates placed over it. His shoulders are also protected by armor plates. _

_The same goes for his legs. Up til his knees the armor plates are visible, but the ones on his upperlegs are worn under his pants with the exception of the ones protecting his hips which are stuck to his leather belt._

_The armor on his chest isn't visible as he wears it under his tanktop. It is tight-fitting and slightly different than the normal armor plates. It is made out of a material that, though not as nearly as strong and durable as the armor plates or even the chain mail, protects his torso relatively well. It's so dark purple that it almost appears black and looks like it's made of the soft scale of a reptile (like the belly of an alligator). _

000

AN – _I'm a little pissed at the moment. Why? Because 21 people have alerted this story and 11 people have it on their favorites list. I'm not talking to the absolute darlings who reviewed, but to those who didn't. Why aren't you commenting? The least you could do is write a few sentences to show that the effort and time put into this story is appreciated. _

_I'm not low enough to actually start writing down the pennames of the people I'm referring to, but I _am _bitchy enough to find some way to send the upcoming chapters only to the people who commented. (As soon as I find out how...)_

Updated AN – _Basically, I thought about giving up on _Goddess. _But after some thinking I thought I'd try one or maybe a few more chapters. _

000

_Chapter XI –_

"Where were you?" Was the first thing Naruto heard when the eagle put him down on a make-shift bed of fluffy sheets and pillows. He turned to see Neji seething at Kakashi. He was tempted to shout at him as well, but resisted the urge, confident that Neji could do it much better than him. She had more experience. And if he was lucky, she might even hit him once or twice. Maybe even do the pinch thing.

'_Kami, what am I thinking?' _Naruto closed his eyes, tired and aching everywhere. _'I have a team of assassins after my ass. I don't have time to worry about- No. They're my teammates. It's normal to worry about them.'_

"Shikamaru's covered in bite marks! Lee was nearly torn apart by that tiger-thing! Naruto damn nearly got _eaten_ and _roasted alive!_"

"Don't swear." Kakashi drawled. "It's not becoming of a lady."

"We are not _things_." A nearby owl zoanthrope snapped, unhelpfully.

Neji fumed. Naruto couldn't blame her. "I'll show you what isn't becoming of a lady!"

"But Neji-chan, I was fighting that tiger zoanthrope until I got caught by the pride. They wouldn't let me help." Kakashi whined, cringing when a fierce-looking amazon treating Lee's arm glared at him. Lee was either unconscious or asleep. Naruto scrunched up his face as he studied the scratches and pieces of missing skin.

"Same here." Shikamaru, who was laying next to Lee, muttered. "I got caught the minute after that coward ran away. He probably saw them coming and retreated."

Naruto chuckled when Shikamaru got pinched in the neck by Kiba, who was caring for his wounds. "You hardly put up a fight!" She snapped, baring her fangs.

"You know, you're not half as sweet as I thought you were. You're as violent as Neji." Shikamaru mumbled.

When Kiba bristled, Naruto swore he saw her hair rise. He laughed, despite himself, "Wow, bunch of tough guys, aren't you. Cowering under the gaze of a woman."

He stopped laughing when both Neji and Kiba turned to him, eyes ablaze.

"Sorry." He squeaked.

Naruto was grateful that despite everything they still allowed them to recover. He snuggled against a particularly soft pillow, not ready to wake up yet and face the alpha. He was entitled to some extra sleep after all. The amazons hadn't been exactly gentle when they wrapped up his arm after popping it back.

A loud purr made him jump, chasing away all the fuzzy sleepiness. He was surprised as to how fast he reacted even though the sudden movement made his head spin. He shook his head and coughed weakly.

A giggle reminded him that there was someone else in the tiny den. "I'm glad you came back."

"Mimi?".

She giggled again, blushing cutely before batting her eyelashes "Yes?"

"I, uh, I'm hurt and tired so could you..." Naruto trailed off, believing she would get the hint and leave.

"Comfort you?" Mimi said, creeping closer and giving Naruto's thigh a caress with her tail. It made him shiver and remember the wild night they had spent together.

"Get out of there, you slut. He's engaged."

Mimi scowled as Neji entered the den. "I am no slut, human. I am-"

"You _were_ _supposed_ to see if he was awake and give him some water. Not jump him when he's vulnerable and _taken_." She shot Naruto a glare.

"You are guests in our pride and-"

"Yes, fascinating. I'm sure your mother would love to know you went and gave yourself to him. Being such a good hostess and all, of course."

Sometimes Naruto absolutely loved Neji. Mimi growled, but left after flinching at the mention of her mother. Neji turned to him. Her face was stone cold. "How dare you cheat on your fiancée." She breathed.

Naruto's face fell. "I'm not proud of what I did."

"Does it matter? You-"

"I know, alright! And I deeply regret it. So once we get back I'm probably going to spend the rest of my salari buying her flowers and chocolate." Naruto snapped.

Neji glared at him with pursed lips. "Kakashi wants to talk to you. He's waiting outside."

"Right." Naruto said, not planning on moving.

"Get _up_." Neji hissed.

Naruto sighed, knowing that he couldn't win an argument with the bitchy Hyuuga at the moment. He stood, biting his lip when he accidentally leaned on his injured arm. Neji hissed impatiently when he passed her.

"I'm going! I'm going! Geez, woman." He ducked the slipper she threw at him. "You'll loose them again."

He didn't see the other one coming though. He glared at her while rubbing his head, ignoring the intense stares he was getting from the members of the pride. Torune, perched on top of a large rock, was one of the few who looked at him with a certain degree of kindness.

He chuckled slightly when he spotted Kiba wrestling Lee back into the den. "Stupid human, you should be resting."

"But Neji-!"

"That snobby woman is fine. Now lay down before I make you!"

"But-!"

Naruto flinched when Kiba clobbered him over the head.

"Now, you see why I want a gentle woman."

Naruto turned to see Kakashi leaning against the wall of the entrance. "I don't know about that. A warrior princess would be nice too. Someone who will fight next to you and stuff."

Kakashi smirked, shaking his head. "I see, you're one of those men who like them tough."

Naruto briefly wondered if it was that obvious as he walked over to the Lone Wolf. "Sakura isn't that violent."

"I thought you hated her?" Kakashi inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto ducked his head, feeling shame heat up his cheeks. "That was Kyuubi talking." He whispered softly.

Kakashi's eyes widened. He looked around to see if anyone was listening before nodding outside. "Let's take this somewhere more private."

Naruto nodded.

Naruto fidgeted nervously with the end of his fingerless gloves. Kakashi stared at him. He swore the man hadn't blinked since they sat down on a rock formation near the entrance.

"Did you make that thunderbolt?" Naruto asked, finally speaking.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No, I didn't. You did."

"How?"

"I don't know, but I doubt it was a normal change. Even in the Reckless Woods the weather doesn't change that suddenly."

"Kyuubi mentioned 'disaster summoning' or something."

Kakashi shook his head. "Impossible. That is an ability only its demon body could handle."

Naruto bit his lip while repeatedly telling himself he could trust Kakashi. "It also mentioned the master elements."

"Holy and hades?" Kakashi breathed, looking more shocked than Naruto had ever seen him. "You possess one of them?"

"Both, actually. I got the holy element from my mother and the hades element from Kyuubi. Wind was my father's element then, I guess."

"It was." Kakashi whispered, his eyes softening at the mention of his former teacher. "He was so gifted with it that he could summon entire storms and fool others into believing he could manipulate earth, water and lightning as well. While he was actually controlling them through his wind element."

Naruto smiled. "Wow."

Kakashi gave him a small smile in return. "You know, the master elements are not as wonderful as they may seem."

"Because it feeds on life force. Yeah, Kyuubi told me I have to be careful with it. Sort of."

"Not only that, but they don't work the same way as the other elements. They are extremely difficult to control, if not impossible."

"Kyuubi failed to mention that."

"It is arrogant." Kakashi repeated, almost out of habit. "Nonetheless, it was a very powerful attack. Not as powerful as the storms Kyuubi could summon, but powerful still. Now that I'm thinking about it, it could have been an attack caused by combining your master elements with your wind element."

Naruto smirked. "I'm so awesome."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't get cocky if I were you. The master elements were banned for a reason."

"They're banned?" Naruto asked, eyes widening.

"Kyuubi didn't mention that either, I suppose." Kakashi said.

Naruto frowned. "Could you tell me about them?"

Kakashi sighed. "I would prefer it if you never used them again. There is a good reason to why they're banned."

"I know, but I think I can control them." Naruto replied. "I did once."

Kakashi shook his head. "First thing you have to know about the master elements is that they're unpredictable and very deceiving. One moment you think you've got it under control and then when the time comes that you need it, it backfires."

Naruto nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Why?" He asked, when Kakashi didn't.

"Because they react and only listen to your instincts and emotions." Kakashi studied Naruto's face. He looked confused. "What do you think will happen to a holy or hades master if they're suicidal or depressed?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "You're kidding. Please, tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not. The holy element only listens to the feelings centered around yourself. The hades element however reacts to your feelings caused or focused on others."

"This is very complex." Naruto admitted, feeling his head spin. "Let's see if I got this right. Unless I learn to control my emotions and instincts I won't be able to control the master elements."

"Wrong." Kakashi said cheerfully. "No one can control their emotions. That's impossible."

"Then what-?"

"Study yourself."

"Huh?"

"If you are really determined to learn the master elements, even though they're banned, I'm not going to stop you. I'll even help you to make sure you don't blow yourself up." Kakashi said, waving his finger in front of Naruto. "As far as I can tell, the only way to control them is by knowing yourself."

"What do you mean by 'knowing myself'."

"Do you know how you would react if someone you love were in danger? Do you know what you'd feel if nothing goes the way you want it to?"

"Uh..."

"Exactly." Kakashi said with a nod. "The more you know yourself, how you react to things, the better control you will have over them."

"How the hell will I do that?"

"I'm not going to lie to you. This won't be easy. In fact, it will probably be the most difficult thing you've ever done. You're going to have to face the real you. Come to terms with your strengths, weaknesses, flaws etc. Everything you've locked away will have to be dug up."

Naruto swallowed when he thought about it. "So I'm going to have to be true to myself."

Kakashi nodded, then his expression turned serious. "Kyuubi plays a part in this as well."

Naruto froze. "Kyuubi?"

"Be honest with me. Is Kyuubi the reason you fainted last night?" Naruto nodded, his tight jaw. "That's what I thought. And can it hurt you even though it doesn't have a body?"

"Yes." Naruto stated shortly.

"Ever wondered how?"

"Not really."

"The hades element." Kakashi said.

"Kyuubi's main element." Naruto whispered.

Kakashi nodded. "It reacted to the demon's emotions and hurt you whenever you angered or upset it."

"Was I smoking?"

"Sorry?"

"Was my skin cracking and did smoke come out of those cracks when I fell?"

Kakashi nodded slowly, but didn't demand a further explanation. Probably because he already knew what Naruto was talking about. "You know what this means don't you?"

"That the master elements also react to Kyuubi's emotions?" Naruto said with a scowl. "Damn."

"Good reaction." Kakashi drawled. "Because it is indeed bad news. Very bad. It doesn't only make training your master elements more difficult, but makes using, even simply having them dangerous. Because the demon has access to them as well. At least, the hades element."

"Shit!" Naruto hissed. "So what do the master elements do exactly?"

Kakashi furrowed his brow in thought. "Well, I know that the holy element is mostly defensive while the hades element is offensive. Mostly... You know, I'm not all that sure."

"What _do_ you know?"

"I think I told you about everything I know." Kakashi admitted sheepishly. "I could ask Shikamaru as soon as I know how to without raising suspicion. But I'm not sure if he knows any more than I do."

Naruto frowned, disappointed. "Right."

Kakashi stared at him. "About Sakura-"

"I didn't mean it." Naruto said quickly. "When I said I hated her. I don't hate her at all."

"But you don't love her?" Kakashi asked carefully.

Naruto began biting his lip again. "I don't know. I keep thinking about it. I mean, it was rather easy for Kyuubi to convince me I hated her, right? If I really, truely loved her like I thought I did, would it have been that easy?"

Kakashi shook his head with a sigh. "I honestly don't know."

"I do love her though." Naruto stated. "But, maybe not in the way I'm supposed to. Maybe it's more brotherly love, or something. I don't know."

Kakashi hesitated before he replied. "Love is complicating. That is a given. Even I – hell, even Shikamaru – has trouble understanding it. But, I do know one thing. There can't be love without trust."

"Meaning?"

"Why didn't you ever tell Sakura about Kyuubi?"

"Because Kyuubi had gotten it into my head that I hated her."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, before that."

Naruto frowned. "Because I was afraid she would leave me if she knew."

"So, in other words, you didn't trust her." Kakashi tried.

"Is that what trust is?" Naruto wondered out loud. "If you had a darling wife and suddenly found out she had commited several brutal murders, would you still stay with her?"

Kakashi blinked in surprise. "Good point."

They stared at each other for several minutes, both lost in thought. After a while Naruto scowled. "Now I have a headache."

"As do I."

"This is way too complicating."

"Yeah."

000

_Chapter XII – __History's Greatest Secrets, Part II_

When Naruto, Kakashi and Shikamaru stood before Aburame Shibi once more, he decided there were more reasons to dislike the pride than to like them. He cursed Lee for being too injured to stand (or so he said. He looked fine to Naruto when he was arguing with Kiba) and Neji for stating she wanted to keep an eye on him as she didn't trust the amazons not to either devour or rape him.

The black panther zoanthrope stood, as magnificently as always, before them, staring them all down. "You left without saying goodbye." Shibi said, golden eyes narrowing. "That was very rude of you."

"Forgive us."

"Silence." Kakashi clamped his mouth shut. "You are lucky I sent Torune and my son after you or you would have been killed."

Kakashi looked like he wanted to protest, but remained silent.

Shibi smirked. A look which reminded Naruto of Kyuubi. "At first my only intentions were to ask some simple questions about your country and maybe even give you some history lessons in return. But you have taken advantage of our kindness and patience. Furthermore, my son noticed something very interesting when he was following you."

Naruto froze when the golden glare landed on him.

"You had the nerve to bring such a creature into our midst."

"Look, I assure you that Naruto is harmless. He has done you no wrong. It is unfair to judge him for something he never had, has and never will have control over." Naruto was impressed that Kakashi dared to keep talking even after Tsume had raised her hand to silence him. It brought a small smile to his face.

"We did not allow you to reenter our pride just so we could rip you to shreds, human." Tsume said. "We are not beasts."

Shibi nodded. "Your yellow-haired companion's dramatic display was not the only thing my son reported. He overheard you talking about what we had discussed. You believe that the reason the Uchiha stole the orb and the disease that rendered your women infertile are connected?"

Kakashi nodded slowly.

"You did not mention this. Why?"

"Because I believed you would think it had nothing to do with you."

Shibi nodded. "An understandable choice, but a wrong one nonetheless. Had you told me sooner I would not have been as suspicious to your reasons for wanting answers."

"I don't understand."

"My son informed me that the king of Oto has long been suspected of creating the plague, correct?"

"Yes."

"Because since his rise to the thrown he has become obsessed with eternal life, but he does not have the means to find a way of becoming immortal so you suspect he forced the rest of the human race to aid him in his quest by creating the plague. In hopes that someone would discover a way."

"Indeed."

Shibi and Tsume exchanged a look. "The orb is a _namutri_. There are seven of them in total. As for what is stored inside of them... we are not entirely sure. But it is not magic."

"I do not understand." Naruto said carefully. "Magic is the only kind of energy capable of being stored into an object."

"Correction, magic is the only kind of energy we know of that is capable of being stored into an object." Kakashi whispered.

"Indeed. Magic is the oldest known energy. It has been practised and used for so many years that its origin has been forgotten. Soon enough, magic is no longer considered special and its differences with other types of energy is now only studied with the purpose of obtaining it." Shibi stated

"Magic is the only type of energy that does not come from the person's body." Shikamaru stated as if reciting a book. "So where does it come from?"

Shibi nodded. "Magic is moulded by the body. So what kind of energy was it before it entered the body?"

"Magic can be storied into lifeless objects. How?" Naruto continued.

"When stored, magic grows stronger as it ages. Why?" Kakashi added.

Shikamaru suddenly gave a start. All eyes turned to him. "Magic does not come from the body." He whispered.

"Huh?"

"Magic does not come from the body." Shikamaru repeated. "But that's impossible, isn't it? All energy must have a source. A living source. It can't survive otherwise."

Kakashi stilled as he began to understand something he had unconsciously always known. "The origin of magic is a living thing."

"But how can it be?" Shikamaru continued. "Magic is older than the elves, older than the dryads even. What could possible be that old?"

"Who knows?" Naruto thought out loud. "I mean, there are already so many pages missing from our history book. I wouldn't be surprised if we already knew the answer, but are just blinded by all the lies we've been taught."

"Correct." Shibi stated. "Whatever the kind of energy there might be stored in the namutri, whomever might be the source of this energy, one fact remains – it is dangerous. As magic is manufactured with this energy it could be safe to say that it shares certain qualities."

"Like?"

"Growing stronger as it ages when stored." Shibi informed them. "As it is likely that the energy is even more powerful than magic this could already make the namutri considerably dangerous if they were only ten years old. However, I am certain that they are over, at least, nine million years old."

Naruto gaped. And so did everyone else.

"I see you realize how powerful they are." Shibi lowered his voice. " I am certain that you all know how dangerous it is to play with a power you don't understand?"

Naruto swallowed thickly, unconsciously nodding.

"And none of us want history to repeat itself now, do we?"

It was clear that the alpha was referring to the destruction of the elfin kingdom. Everyone nodded again hastily.

"If I may, Your Highness," Shikamaru said, still frowning in thought. "I have two questions. You said the namutri belong to the Uchiha clan."

"They do."

"Yet one of them somehow ended up in Konoha. The Uchiha clan originate from Mangekyo which lays nearly on the other side of the planet. And I know that their clan is not older than five hundred years. But the vault that held one of the namutri was over twice as old."

"What is your question?"

"How could the namutri belong to the Uchiha clan if the clan was born long after they were locked away? And how did the Uchiha clan find out about them?"

"Due to their ancestors." Shibi said.

"Excuse me?"

"The elves were too kind. They were the only ones who did not believe that one race was superior to the other. They often bred with other races, especially humans before you betrayed them." Shibi gave them all a slight glare. "Humans slaughtered the elfin kingdom, but you forgot that some of them had bred away from their home."

Tsume stepped forward, also giving them a disapproving look. "The survivors, although only half elf, fled and created a whole new country. They called their country 'Mangekyo' after the last elfin king. Soon enough other people began to travel there and most of the elfin blood was bred out."

"Except for that of the royal family." Shikamaru whispered.

"Clever human." Shibi repeated with a nod. "The ones chosen to rule Mangekyo possessed more elfin blood and therefore more power and wisdom. They did everything they could to try and perserve their ancestors' magic, but to no avail."

"Soon after Mangekyo had grown into one of the largest countries the human race began to have their doubts on whether they managed to wipe out the elves." Tsume added.

"First Great War." Kakashi stated.

"Precisely. Humans killed everyone who they thought might possess elfin blood, but it took them a while to locate the royal family. And when they did they attempted to kill them by burning their hideout. However, due to their magic, being more potent than that of the rest, they survived."

"The fire entwined with the remnants of ancient elf magic. And the Uchiha clan was born. Though the magic was burned away, extraordinaire fire power was given in return."

Shikamaru stared in amazement. Naruto was pretty sure he was doing to the same thing.

"So that means that when a part of the Uchiha clan came to Konoha, they already knew of the namutri hidden in the palace?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes." Kakashi mumbled distractedly while nodding. He looked like he was in deep thought. "That's why they came to Konoha in the first place."

"But they were exciled for treason before they could locate it. Or maybe they already knew where it was, but couldn't steal it back?" Shikamaru added.

"If that is the case," Naruto, temporarily forgetting his nervousness, began, "then they must have been planning this for a long time. But if they had always been more powerful than us, why did they only steal it now?"

"Good point." Kakashi said with a frown.

"Something must've happened that put a temporary stop to their plans." Tsume said. Naruto got a feeling she was hinting at something.

"The aphrodite plague." Trust Shikamaru to understand. "Of course."

Shibi nodded, looking rather impressed by their intelligence. "What I think is that the Uchiha clan stopped caring about the namutri after somehow learning that the human race had forgotten about them and began to build a separate civilization. Away from Mangekyo, who had been overtaken by humans. But after the aphrodite plague destroyed all hope for reproduction they switched to their original plan."

"But they have a fertile woman. Or women, maybe even." Naruto stated. "I saw the babies myself."

Shibi shook his head. "Not to save themselves, but to protect themselves, and maybe even others, from Oto's shemes."

Naruto shook his head this time. "I still don't understand. Because if the king of Oto is behind all this than won't hiding the power for immortality give him more reason to start another attack? Not that I think we should give the namutri to him or something, but if the human race had forgotten about them, why draw attention to it?"

Silence. Naruto felt a pride feeling rise in his chest when Shibi actually smiled at him. "You are smarter than you let on."

Naruto turned to Kakashi who looked lost, then Shikamaru, but even he looked dumbfounded. "Eh..."

"They're planning something else." Shino drawled, rolling his eyes. "Obviously."

"I knew that." Shikamaru muttered. "But what?"

"That depends on what the orbs can be used for I guess?" Naruto tried, earning him another smile.

"Correct." Shibi stated. "But we don't know what they can be used for."

"We don't," Kakashi began, "But the Uchiha clan might, seeing as they are the descendants of the namutri's previous protectors."

"Great." Shikamaru complained. "How are we going to explain this to the king and queen?"

"I am confident you'll think of something." Shibi smirked when Shikamaru flinched and stared suspiciously at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Your Highness?"

"You will report to your leaders. I want the rest to stay here." Shibi's eyes grew deathly serious. "I have a mission for you."

"Why me?" Shikamaru groaned

"I'm the team leader." Kakashi said cheerfully.

"I'm injured." Lee said, looking apologetic.

"I'm the tracking expert." Neji said with a raised chin.

"I... I'm... eh..." Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Stupid?" Shikamaru offered.

"Untrustworthy?" Neji added.

"Scared?" Lee wondered.

"More likely to get lost." Kakashi stated with a nod.

Naruto glared at them. "I'm not stupid or scared or untrustworthy. And I would _not_ get lost."

"Why don't you go then?" Shikamaru drawled.

"Because he _would_ get lost." Kakashi said before Naruto could answer. "Or eaten."

"Doesn't he have super senses?" Shikamaru continued stubbornly. "If he does, he wouldn't get lost. Not for long anyway."

"Just go." Kakashi said, getting irritated.

But Shikamaru didn't leave. He was looking at Naruto. "You know, with the way Shibi talked earlier one would almost think you weren't entirely human."

Naruto flinched. Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Leave, Shikamaru. That's an order." He snapped.

Shikamaru glared at Kakashi, but turned to leave. Naruto sighed in relief, but then he remembered something. Out of the corner of his eye he looked at Neji and, sure enough, she was studying him. And so was Lee.

"What did he mean with that?" Neji demanded, turning to Kakashi.

"The alpha was awestruck by Naruto's incredible abilities." Kakashi replied with a smile.

Neji frowned in disbelief. "What?"

"Incredible abilities?" Lee asked.

Kakashi nodded sincerely. "Oh yes, it was quite amazing. You should've seen it."

"_You_ didn't even see it!" Neji hissed. "What are you talking about?"

"It was incredible. Amazing."

"But you didn't-"

"Yeah, I sure showed them." Naruto added with a broad smile.

"You sure did." Kakashi said, a misschievous twinkle in his eyes.

Neji fumed.

"Eh, Neji-san?" Lee said gently with a nervous smile. "Don't get angry. They're just joking."

"This is no joke! I demand to know what Shikamaru was talking about!"

"My incredible abilities." Naruto said, looking at her as if she was stupid. "Honestly, woman."

Neji snapped her head to Lee. "Give me your shoes!"

"Uhm, why?"

"So I can throw them at him!"

"Violence is not the answer." Naruto was enjoying this. He smiled as Neji practically screamed in frustation.

"Wise words." Kakashi stated. "You should listen to him, Neji-chan."

"Shut up!"

Lee gave him and Naruto a glare as he limped closer to Neji. "Don't tease her."

"I wouldn't dare." Kakashi replied smoothly. "Now, let's talk business. Shibi gave us a mission, and though it's not exactly according to rules to take missions from other leaders, this is important. Besides, I'm sure our king and queen will understand."

"So, we're heading to Suna?" Naruto asked.

"Tomorrow." Kakashi said. "Lee still needs to rest."

"Is it far?"

Kakashi fidgeted. "Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"Yes, it is far." Neji hissed, having used up her small amount of patience. "And it is in the middle of a giant desert."

Naruto looked at Kakashi. "She's just exaggerating, right? Tell me she's exaggerating."

"She's exaggerating." Kakashi deadpanned.

"Great. That's just great. A long trek through the desert is just what I need right now."

"We'll be fine."

"Yeah right. We'll be dehydrated and half-mummified by the time we get to Suna." Neji snapped. "Since we'll be infiltrating we can't use the underground tunnels. And the desert is as bad as the Reckless Woods, maybe even worse."

"Not with the help of our new friends." Kakashi replied.

"Friends?" Lee said, looking dumbfounded. "What friends?"

"Well, they're not exactly our friends. More like companions."

"Who?" Lee said. But his question was answered when Shino stuck his head out of the cave.

"Everything is set for our journey tomorrow. We leave at sunrise."

"_Our_ journey?" Neji demanded, once again rounding on Kakashi.

"We?" Lee inquired.

"Shino and his wife are joining us." Kakashi said with a smile. "You know, to keep us company. Make sure we don't shrivel in the sun or starve to death. Monitor our actions. Kill us if we step out of line. The kind of stuff friends do."

"That lucky bastard." Naruto whispered. It didn't take a genius to know he was referring to Shikamaru.

000

_Chapter XIII – Land of the Hourglass_

"They failed?" Sasuke said in disbelief.

Itachi nodded, his jaw tight. "I told you not to rely on them too much."

"Did they at least kill one of them?" Sasuke seethed when Itachi shook his head. "Where are they? I want to talk to them."

"I don't think you should do that just yet." Itachi said quickly, stepping in front of the exit to their bedroom. "They're still being treated."

"I don't care." Sasuke tried to manuevre past him, but Itachi would not let her pass.

"Karin is unconscious. She was attacked by a gorgonsire."

"Your point being?"

"Be a little understanding."

Sasuke narrowed her eyes. "What is wrong with you? You never cared for them before."

"Three of them suffer from a concussion. The third is untrustworthy. You should wait."

"Even Juugo?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"He is slightly disorientated."

"You're lying."

"Sasuke-"

"I want to talk to them!" She shrieked. "I am _king_ and I demand you let me pass!"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. He leaned over Sasuke, caressing her cheek as he did so. "And it is only thanks to me that you have that power."

"It doesn't matter. The crown is mine and you will respect that."

"It does matter." Itachi whispered. "I gave you my rightful place on the throne on one condition. Do you remember what that condition was?"

Sasuke tensed. "Why are you bringing this up?"

"You swore yourself to me." Itachi whispered. "Everything you are, you promised me."

"I have given you all of me. It is not my fault you keep expecting more."

"If you'd give me your complete trust than I wouldn't have to keep demanding more."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed before softening. She stepped forward. "What makes you think I don't trust you?"

"Don't try to sweet-talk your way out of this." Itachi nearly hissed. "You evade my advances like I'm some sort of perverse peasant, you do whatever possible to avoid entering the bedroom, I have to stalk you so I don't miss any important meetings – the only thing you ever come to me for is violence. Whenever a big battle is to take place you speak to me and treat me the way you promised."

Sasuke smiled through her tense jaw. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was neglecting our marriage. But this is important."

Itachi shook his head. "You were always like this. Especially since..."

"Since what?"

"Since..." Itachi sighed. "It will only take a matter of time before Konoha locates us. We should think about moving."

"Do not change the subject." Sasuke snapped. "And I have already chosen a new location for Sharingan."

Sasuke scowled when Itachi remained silent. She brushed past him, heatedly ordering a maid to clean the bedroom as she stormed out of the hall.

As soon as she was out of sight Itachi seethed. "Since you unlocked the prophecy." He turned around to see the end of Sasuke's kimono dissapear. "There is something you aren't telling me, love."

Sasuke glowered at the sight of her team in the hospital wing. "You failed." She stated simply.

"We were attacked by a pride." Juugo answered, though he still bowed his head in shame.

"The pride attacked you?"

Suigetsu grimaced. "Wouldn't have happened if Sai over there had listened."

Sasuke narrowed her eyes. "Sai?"

"He led the mission on your orders, Sasuke-sama." The tiger zoanthrope replied.

Sasuke snapped her head towards Sai's bed. He flinched away. "I never gave that order. Who told you this?"

"Itachi-san."

"What?" She breathed.

"He told us you'd given the specific order that Sai lead the mission." Suigetsu said.

"Sasuke-sama?" Karin croaked nervously, feeling the room heat up.

Sasuke screamed in rage. As she ran back down the hall, the door which she had briefly touched with her shoulder, turned to ash.

"ITACHI!"

"Sasuke-" Itachi began, holding up his hands in an attempt to calm her down.

"You _traitor_!"

"No!" Itachi shouted, grabbing Sasuke's wrists before she could electrocute him. "Listen to me. Calm down and listen to me."

"Never!"

Itachi scowled as she struggled, landing kick after kick. He wrapped his arms around her and smashed her against the floor. "You _will_ listen."

Sasuke sneered at him. Itachi leaned back as far as he could before she bit his nose off.

"You're right. I did go against orders, but not for the reasons you think." Itachi whispered against her skin. "I did it to make you see."

"See what?" Sasuke hissed softly.

"Sai sabotaged the mission. He knew that if they came too close to the pride they would attack them on account of Juugo."

"We already knew he was working for someone else as well."

Itachi nodded. "I know, love. I know. But we didn't know for whom. Now we know that whoever he works for is interested in the demon child of Konoha."

"We would've known that whether or not Sai led the team. He still would have attempted to sabotage the mission."

"He froze at the mention of Hatake Kakashi."

"We would have still-"

"I know."

"Then why?" Sasuke whispered back. "Why did you do it?"

"Why did you order them to kill the demon child when we swore we wouldn't take more victims than neseccary? So we wouldn't make the same mistake father did?" Itachi asked, petting her head. "Is it because he gave you your first wound? No, you're better than that. Tell me, love, why did you react so strongly at the mention of his name?"

Sasuke turned to look up at him. However, Itachi didn't look back. "Are you jealous?"

"You are unusually interested in him." Itachi continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"His father was Namikaze Minato. Why shouldn't I be?"

Itachi's jaw tightened. "Don't mention his name."

"Namikaze Minato." Sasuke deadpanned.

Itachi narrowed his eyes before widening them. "You're teasing me."

"You're being silly."

"You've never done that before. Are you trying to seduce me into obedience?"

"You're being sillier now."

"So you're mission was an act of revenge, was it?"

"He is Namikaze Minato's son. I'm not the only one who wants him dead."

Itachi scowled. "Don't mention his name!"

"Namikaze Minato."

"_When you begin a journey across the desert pass_

_Beware the griffins found ahead_

_They fly over your head_

_Welcome to the land of the hourglass_

_When you walk across the desert pass_

_Beware the basilisks under your feet_

_Do not awaken them from their sleep_

_Welcome to the land of the hourglass.."_

"Not this again." Naruto groaned.

"I'm still recovering." Lee added. "Shouldn't you be more merciful?"

"It does not bother me." Shino sniffed, raising his magnificent head as he spoke. "I am pleasantly surprised that humans still know the old culture songs."

Kakashi gave him a broad smile.

"You have a terible singing voice though."

And the smile was gone. He glared at Naruto when he chuckled.

"_When you tread upon the desert pass_

_Do not anger the mighty sphinx_

_Our queen knows less mercy than you think_

_Welcome to the land of the hourglass."_

"I thought Gaara was the queen of Suna." Lee asked, cringing at Kakashi's finish.

"She is." Shino answered. "It is the sphinx that rules the desert, however."

"If there was ever a country that loved women." Neji said with a smile.

"What? Just because two women rule it?"

"A majority of the women in Suna are stronger than the men." Kakashi replied. "The role play is completely different from Konoha."

Shino nodded. "It is the men that remain home and care for the children while the women work."

"The men who clean the house, do the cooking, gossip with the other husbands and go on shopping sprees while giggling excitedly." Kakashi said.

Naruto grimaced. "Say what?"

Neji rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him. There is nothing feminine about the men in Suna."

Kiba nodded. "I hear they are easily offended because of the many misunderstandings about them."

"Let them come. If all they do is cook all day, even Iruka can take them. Hell, she could probably take twenty of them." Naruto said.

Shino looked at him. "My father says you are rather intelligent despite what you are."

"Really?"

"I do not see his point of view."

Naruto glared at him.

"The ground is shaking." Lee commented.

"Basilisk?" Naruto wondered.

"Sandstorm?" Kiba asked, looking questioningly at her husband.

"Azi Sruvara." Shino said shortly.

"Friendly creature?" Lee asked hopefully.

"No."

"So, eh, why aren't we running then? Or preparing to fight?" Naruto wondered.

"It is merely settling in the sand so it can sleep peacefully. It has already eaten."

Lee stared at the shaking sand under his feet. "How big is it?"

"Depends on how old they are and whether it's male or female." Kiba answered. "Like most creatures in Suna, the female is larger than the male."

"A legendary warrior from Suna had once slain an Azi Sruvara." Shino said. "It had taken half a day before he reached her head when he managed to climb her tail."

Naruto choked on his tongue. "What?"

"It's size is mostly due to its long tail." Kiba added. "Besides, it usually doesn't hunt humans. Not enough meat."

"What about zoanthropes?" Lee asked as politely as he could.

"There aren't a lot of creatures out there willing to take on a zoanthrope."

"Do not wander from me." Shino said suddenly.

"I'm standing right next to you."

"You were leaning towards him."

"I was not." Kiba protested.

Shino raised his head. "Your place is beside me."

"Argh! You're so controlling!"

"Stop behaving like a child." Shino said in the same monotone voice.

"Wow." Naruto muttered. "I can feel the love."

"As can I." Neji added sarcastically. "She is rather disrespectful. Even that slut had more manners."

"I was actually talking about him."

"What about him? He isn't doing anything wrong." Naruto frowned at her. "What?"

"He's totally smothering her and-"

"He's just taking responsibility." Neji snapped, oblivious of the way Lee was listening in to their conversation. "You know, a lot of books stated that out of all races, zoanthropes were the best husbands."

"Wouldn't you prefer a more gentle and understanding husband, Neji-san?" Lee asked quietly.

"Not if he cannot care for my vulnerability." Neji sniffed.

"Being kind or gentle does not make a person weak, Neji-chan." Kakashi said with a sigh. "You should try looking beyond what your clan taught you to be the ideal man. You'll be surprised to find that some men are stronger than they seem."

Neither Kakashi nor Naruto missed the fleeting glance Neji gave Lee. For a moment Naruto was hopeful, but then Neji huffed and purposefully walked faster.


	6. Chapter 6

Name – Goddess

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Kiba, Fem-Neji, language

Chapter Pairings – ShinoKiba, (Slight) NaruSaku, (Slight) LeeNeji

000

Dread king_ – Thank you so much. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well._

StigmaReborn_ – Ah! I was afraid that the time period between the last two chapters had caused me to lose some, if not all, reviewers. I'm glad you understand why I nearly gave up hope._

_I'm so happy you decided to keep reading it despite not being a 'fan' of ItaSasu. It makes me so giddy to think that you actually are willing to overlook it for the sake of the rest of the story. _

_I was smiling like a creep for hours after reading your review. It almost made me feel like the chapter had been flawless. You're a wonder for my ego, really :P._

_And yes, I told you so :P._

_Haha, too much coffee. Good one. I might steal that line in the future if you don't mind._

_The plot is pretty much unfolding although slowly. If all goes according to plan than this is going to be a pretty long story. And, don't worry, I'm planning on updating every week._

_I've found my buzz again. And this time it's going to be harder to kill. :P_

A very offended person who didn't use a pen-name – _First of all, I don't believe I ever told anyone to 'fuck off'. I think that's a bit extreme. Second of all, I appreciate the fact that yoy voiced or wrote your opinion on the matter, seriously. Because I'm fairly confident that you aren't the only person who thinks this way._

_Alrighty, the reason why I like reviews and prefer reviews over anything else is because its feedback. Plain and simple. I'm not going to say that it doesn't have anything to do with it being visible to other people, because I'd be lying. But that isn't the main reason._

_I like hearing people's opinions on _Goddess_ even if it's negative. I want to become a writer. I want to improve my writing. And I feel that others can help me with that by commenting on what I've written. _

_I also believe that that's the least I deserve. Writing isn't easy. Especially _Goddess_wasn't easy to write. It's the first multi-chapter story I actually have faith in. One click of a button isn't what I call an action of 'actions speak louder than words'._

_I can completely understand that some people are afraid to give criticism or even simply comment. I had a period where I didn't like that idea either, but after I starting posting stories myself I realized how it feels on the other side._

_And, yes, there are plently who are sensitive to critisism. And some of them are the last people who you'll want to upset. And I'm truly sorry that you just happened to stumble upon such a person who made you lose your enthusiasm and made you feel bad when you simply came here for some rest and relaxation._

_I understand that._

_But I stated in the first chapter that I welcome reviews. I want criticism, I want comments and I want feedback. Because I believe it will help me improve. _

_And, last of all, I also realize that I might have been too pushy and demanding in the beginning. That is why I want to try again. _

_I apologize for offending you with that, but I'm not sorry for expecting reviews in return for my effort or for writing down my opinions on the matter._

_I don't know whether you will read this, if you understand what I'm trying to explain or even if you'll simply ignore the bitchy authoress and just read for the sake of liking the story. _

_I don't even know if you'll actually believe what I'm writing._

_I hope you will reply. And, believe it or not, but I'm glad you stated your opinion. _

Person – _Don't apologize. It's your opinion. And I appreciate you telling me. Although I have a question: were you referring to the chapter or the story as a whole? And, if you want, could you tell me what exactly you thought was melodramatic? _

NeoRyu –_ Thank you so much. I confess, I have a wild imagination. A little too wild sometimes. I'm glad it made you curious._

_I'm also very happy you think its complexity adds to the story instead of being turned off by it. _

_I'm planning on updating once a week. Just so you know._

_PS – Really? I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me. And English isn't my first language either. :P_

Redxdragon – _Your review made me smile. My cheeks hurt afterwards :P._

_I'm glad you understand why I put so much emphasis on getting reviews. I felt like a damsel after reading how you defended me. :P_

_But the icing on the cake was when you wrote that despite not being a fan of gender-bending you still didn't give up on the story and found that you liked it. Things like that make me sooo giddy. _

_I take it that the brain spasm meant 'inspirational' or something along those lines. If that's the case then I think I just died of happiness._

Evil Angel4 – _Yes, I'm back with a brand new chap! …. That was lame, I know, sorry :P._

_I realize that some (a lot even, maybe) have issues with the ItaSasu interactions. So I'm trying to downplay it. Keep it to a minimum. Good news is that I'm not going to focus on their relationship… well, sort of. Not romantically anyway._

_A lot of questions indeed? I don't know if I were meant to answer them, but I can't answer most of them anyway, or I'll give away a plot point. _

_I personally think Itachi has a very big sister complex bordering on incestuous love. The reason is because in the real Naruto storyline Itachi loved Sasuke more than anyone else. Even his mommy, his daddy and his little sweetheart didn't score as highly as Sasuke did. _

_That is the only question I can answer for now._

_Hahaha, I think Naruto actually _does_ like warrior princesses. It's a shame that the warrior princess in _Goddess_ are too bad-ass to consider romance first. :P_

_Next update will come next week if all goes according to plan._

Sipuli123 – _I'm grateful you reviewed even though you think you're not very good at it. I laughed when you called it 'crazy in a positive way'. I like that. Hope this chapter is as crazy as the others :P._

Elemental Dragon Swordsman – _Why indeed… Itachi doesn't seem to like Minato very much, does he? Plus Sasuke hinted that he wasn't the only one bearing hatred for the Yondame. :P_

Fuzzlets – _Cute name :D. I will continue. My buzz has returned and it will stay with me (hopefully). _

Hideyoshi 26 – _Thank you so much. Hope you like this chapter too._

Hyuuzumaki lover – _Oh, I'm so glad you commented. And you gave your opinions. I love how the confusion of the first chapters attracted you and didn't chase you away like I'm sure it did some people. _

_I'm glad you decided to review after all (even been planning to?). I really, really appreciate it._

Sexy-nluvn it – _Aw, thank you. I'm glad the story makes people wonder/think. Hope this one's adds to the craziness :P_

000

A/N – _I have to admit. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw how much response the last chapter got. Not all of the comments were positive and some made me think. _

_I want people to know that I understand that giving criticism can sometimes be even more difficult than receiving it. But I want criticism. I want opinions. Don't be afraid to write them down. Even if you post it to my profile and no one else can see it. I honestly don't care._

_However, I also realize that I might have a been a tad too bitchy about it. I apologize for that._

_But, like I previously wrote, I'm going to keep posting chapters and give people time to review/collect their courage. And I'm going to stop bitching about it. I think by now people realize why I want it and what it means to me._

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter._

Enjoy.

000

_Chapter XIV – Bandits_

"I wouldn't suppose he'd let me under there as well?" Naruto groaned, eyeing the two women who were enjoying the shade made by Shino and Kiba's giant canine companion.

"We're training, remember? Concentrate."

Naruto sighed. "I already made a gust of wind."

"Did you?" Kakashi said, amused. "You mean that pleasant little breeze I felt a few seconds ago?"

Naruto scowled. "I never had elemental classes, because that asshole of an examiner told me I didn't have any."

Kakashi blinked in surprise. "So no one ever taught or trained or helped you with this?"

Naruto grumbled, feeling slightly ashamed. "No one wanted to, even once I had the money. So I tried to teach myself, you know, with some books borrowed from the library because I didn't believe a word that examiner guy said to me. But they use way too many big words in there."

"So you taught yourself how to create a gust?" Lee asked, pausing in his own training.

Naruto gave Kakashi a look. "Well, sort of. I had help."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Well, at least it did something right. And, I have to say now that I heard this, I'm rather impressed you managed to do that."

Naruto frowned. "Yeah right. It was pathetic."

Kakashi shook his head. "Most people begin their elemental training as soon as they're accepted into the Academy because the older you are the more difficult it becomes to learn how to control them. Even though you're still young, Naruto, usually, even at your age, it still takes almost two years before anything visibly happens."

"Oh?"

"First you have to find out what your elements are and how many you have. Then you need to unlock them with the help of a magician, a diviner or a doctor. Once you've unlocked them you need to separate the energy that makes it possible to control the element which takes months. And then you can begin your training."

Naruto gaped. "Uh, I guess I skipped a few stages then."

"There aren't a lot of people who can unlock their elements or abilities by themselves." Kakashi said, looking a little impressed.

"Right. This energy stuff is very complicating."

"Tell me about it." Lee agreed.

Naruto frowned. "But wait, someone told me that because everybody's energy is unique no one can possess all elements, right?"

"Right." Kakashi said.

"But I read in a book that you've been seen using earth, fire, water, wind and lightning."

"Good question." Kakashi said, furrowing his brow. "Like Lee here, I have a rare type of energy. While lightning is my primary element, the others aren't."

"So how does that work?"

"My energy changes more and faster than is normal. With most people it only shifts due to age and health issues that makes certain aspects of element manipulating easier or more difficult. My energy, however, doesn't care about such trivial things and changes regardless of what happens to my health or age."

Naruto and Lee exchanged a look. "Okay…"

"Everybody's energy possesses hints of each five elements. But with some water or fire or earth takes up the largest portion and, thus, is the dominant – the king if you will. Got it?"

"Yeah, I knew that."

"Because my energy keeps changing my secondary element keeps changing with it. While lightning will always be my main element, sometimes water is my second, sometimes wind, sometimes earth. And so on."

Naruto face lit up in understanding. "Right."

"It does have its disadvantages though. I will never be able to master my secondary element completely. I can only use the more common, less complicating moves." Kakashi took a sip from his water bottle while eyeing Naruto wiping the sweat off his brow. "Now back to your training before we melt."

"Bring it."

"Like humans and energy, elements have certain characteristics that defines them. Therefore each element is trained differently. Now, unfortunately, wind is a rather difficult element to control, but in turn it is also probably the most useful element to have."

Naruto nodded excitedly.

"It can be used defensively and offensively. It can be used in long, mid-, and short-ranged battles. It can slice, push, crush, pull, disable, block etc." Kakashi explained, racking his brain to dumb down everything he knew.

"Okay." Naruto said, raising his hand. "I have a question. Why is wind weak against fire?"

"Because it causes it to spread which allows fire masters to perform powerful attacks with less energy." Kakashi answered. "But wind is only weak against fire until the user reaches a certain level. You're father, for example, had no problems against a fire master. He was so skilled people claimed his element was controlling the weather."

"But I could never do that." Naruto said with a grimace. "I bet you have to be real smart to do that."

"On the contrary, Naruto," Kakashi said with a smile, "that is our goal. Now, let's try your gust attack again. Try to knock me off my feet."

* * *

"Congratulations with your marriage, by the way. I haven't been able to properly do that earlier." Neji drawled.

"Thank you." Kiba replied. Shino, who was probably napping, didn't answer.

"I have a few questions if I may." Neji began carefully.

"Go ahead."

"Did your pride recently have contact with the Uchiha clan?"

"No, but we hear things from visiting tribes and prides."

"Did they ever mention the prodigies?"

Kiba nodded. "They are quite infamous."

"What about a woman named Uchiha Sasuke?"

"She is one of the prodigies, right? She rules Sharingan, city of Uchiha, despite the fact that the throne was meant for her elder brother."

Neji narrowed her eyes in thought. "So the prodigies are not brothers, but brother and sister?"

Kiba nodded again. "There are seven namutri. One was already in their possession, they reclaimed a second and now they are searching for the third. The other tribes say that they build the first into a tower to heighten their magic and they disguise themselves whenever they leave Sharingan."

"So that's why Byakugan couldn't see through their disguise, because it was strengthened by the namutri." Neji muttered to no one in particular.

"Byakugan?"

"A unique ability that only my clan can use. It allows us to see the energy flow of others among other things." Neji explained shortly. "It also enables us to locate pressure points and energy gates in order to paralyze our opponents."

"Your clan? I didn't realize you were allowed to marry outside of your clan these days."

"Well, as long as he'll meet certain standards I can marry whomever I want." Neji explained.

"Ah, so he meets your clan's standards?" Kiba said, pointing at Lee.

Neji spluttered. "What? No, no! He- he's not my husband."

"He's not?"

"Of course not!"

"Right." Kiba said, giving Neji she didn't like. "Does that mean he's available? I know quite a few amazons who were interested in him."

"He's taken." Neji instinctively sniffed, before blushing.

Kiba smirked, "I should've known. A man like that does not run solo for long."

"What do you mean?"

"He is strong, loyal, dependable, kind, understanding, gentle, respectful-"

"I have another question. A personal one." Neji stared at her before glancing at Shino.

Kiba's face turned serious before she too glanced at her husband. "Alright." She said slowly.

"Your marriage to Shino – was it consensual? Or was it decided for you?"

Kiba looked away uncertainly. She fidgeted for a moment, snuggling closer against her massive pet dog before replying. "Shino began pursuing me and, despite my age, neither my mother nor the alpha protested the idea. A mere week after he started our marriage had already been planned."

Neji gaped, feeling outraged. "After a _week_? Didn't you object?"

"I didn't have a choice. You have met my mother, yes? Her father was a wolf zoanthrope from another tribe. My grandmother had married him without permission from our alpha. Because of that, she lost her status and right to speak within our pride."

"Like with us. They delude you into thinking you can choose your own spouse, but if he or she does not meet their expectations, you can kiss your happy romance goodbye."

Kiba nodded. "Despite that, my mother was still chosen as alpha of the Inuzukas because she had worked hard for it. However, my mother made the same mistake. She too married out of the pride without Shibi's permission. That why, when Shino expressed interest in me, Shibi offered our family one chance to remain in the pride."

"So you had to marry him in order to save your family."

"If I had rejected Shino, not only would my mother have lost her position, but we would've been outcasted. My grandmother, my mother, my sister and myself would have been wanderers. To us, that is the lowest of the lowest."

"Like with us." Neji whispered. "Dediction to your people, to your clan is the very reason you were born."

"And if you fail, the reason for your life disappears." Kiba added. "Because my grandmother and my mother have both wronged our alpha, he expects me to do the same. Although he blessed our unison, he made sure to eliminate any possibility that I would betray Shino."

"That is why Shino won't let you out of his sight." Neji said, "Shibi rubbed his suspicions onto his son and now both of them are seeing you as some sort of time bomb. Ready to run off with someone else at any given moment."

Kiba nodded again. Her expression similar to the one she wore when they first saw her. "My mother told me that, disregarding his possessive nature, Shino is a good man and that I should try to love him."

"A lot of books state that zoanthropes are very good husbands." Neji said, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. "They are loyal, devoted, protective and caring."

Kiba remained quiet for a long time before she responded. "Shino is very serious. Sometimes it is like he's never been taught how to enjoy life or have fun. All he thinks about are his duties and responsibilities. It's difficult to be with a man like that."

Neji squirmed uncomfortably on the blanket. "But he cares for your vulnerability."

Kiba smiled humorlessly. "If he cared for the rest, he wouldn't need to."

* * *

"A squall, Naruto. _Squall!_"

"The hell is a squall?"

"A burst of wind."

"Like a gust." Naruto said, irritated.

"No, not like a gust. A squall is stronger, more sudden and lasts longer."

"Well, I don't get it. From your explanation, I didn't see no difference!" Naruto said, lowering his tired bones onto the sand. "This sucks. I'm never gonna get this right."

Kakashi sighed. It was getting dark and the heat had disappeared completely with the sun. It was getting cold.

Shino had insisted on taking the nightshift, his black nose sniffed the air, golden eyes narrowing suspiciously as they gazed into the horizon. His long tail was curled possessively around his sleeping wife.

Neji was laying completely still. Her face looked solemn and contemplating. She seemed restless despite not moving as if something had caused her to struggle with herself.

Lee was still training with the excuse that he needed to get used to the unsteady surface of the desert and its treacherous wind. But every now and then he would glance at Neji to see if she was watching him.

Naruto studied them all in the dark. He wondered how powerful each of them truly were and whether he could ever gain up on them. He'd never seen them fight, but he didn't really need to.

Shino and Kiba were crazy strong simply by being a zoanthrope and amazon respectively. Kakashi was the Lone Wolf of Konoha. No doubt, he did things to earn that title. Neji was a Hyuuga and had probably had training in all their martial arts.

Lee was a combat artist and if that didn't sound cool enough to convince Naruto of his strength then the wicked breeze he felt in his side whenever Lee performed a kick sure did. Shikamaru was a genius. He didn't even need to be physically strong to be powerful.

And he… what could he do?

_'Hope is nothing but an abyss waiting to suck you in.'_

Naruto jumped.

"If you're cold I suggest putting on some extra layers." Kakashi said.

"N-no, I'm not cold." Naruto smiled nervously when Kakashi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I think Lee just kicked some sand into my shirt, that's all."

"Sorry." Lee said, moving a little further away.

_'False hope is a smirking predator ready to devour the unaware in one sure-kill swipe.'_

Naruto glanced at Kakashi to make sure he wasn't watching. _'Are you telling me I can't do this?'_

_'Those who will claim they will die for you never think of those they leave behind.' _A deep voice in the back of his mind purred. _'The world is such a dark, scary place.'_

_'What do you want, Kyuubi?'_

_'So many battles to be won only to perish in the next. And for what? For those who will not bother to remember the reason why they live.'_

_'Kyuubi!' _Naruto mentally shouted, wondering if he was being ignored or if the demon could no longer hear him.

_'Only I will be there in the end.' _Came the purring voice after a moment of silence. _'Only I will love you as you exhale your dying breath. Only I will remember you a hero.'_

_'Kyuubi.' _Naruto repeated softly.

_'A hero unlike I.' _It sounded confused at its own words, almost desperate to get its point across. _'I will remember.'_

"Naruto?"

"What?" Naruto said, alert.

Lee studied him before sitting down next to him. "Are you sure you're not cold? You're trembling."

"Don't pamper me when I'm trying to be tough here."

Lee smirked. "Sorry."

"Though a fire would be nice."

"I advice against it." Shino said.

"Griffins and basilisks aren't the only dangerous things roaming the land of the hourglass." Kakashi added.

"If it's any comfort," Lee whispered to Naruto, "I'm _freezing_. Working up a sweat wasn't such a good idea after all."

"Good." Naruto sniffed. "That's what you get for showing off in front of a rookie."

"You were actually pretty impressive." Lee replied as he went through his bag for something warm to wear. "Especially considering that this is your first real training."

"Yes, he was." Kakashi interrupted. "But not impressive enough."

Naruto repressed the urge to glare at him. "Hey, I-"

"I'm going to be honest with you, Naruto. You need to man up big time. I _know_you can become as powerful and skilled as your father had been. But I need you to believe it as well or this'll never work."

"What are you talking about? I trained my ass off!"

"Something is holding you back." Kakashi said. "I don't know what it is, but as long as that's there I can assure you that you will fail."

Naruto flinched. He opened his mouth automatically, but had no idea how to retort.

Kakashi noticed this. His eyes softened. "Look, Naruto. I know your life hasn't been easy. But feeling sorry for yourself is only going to prove all those people who ever doubted you right."

Naruto unconsciously tightened his jaw, feeling anger rise up from his stomach. "I came this far with only Iruka to support me. I fought my way through this knowing that no one else was going to do it for me. Don't even think about telling me I don't think I'm good enough. Because I do and always have."

"Really?" Kakashi said slowly. "You're not insecure?"

Naruto nodded stiffly. "I know damn well that the only one I can rely on in the end is myself."

"Then how come a certain little voice in your head managed to wrap you around its finger so easily?"

"Voice?" Neji started, but she was silenced by a single look from Kakashi.

"Stay out of it, Neji. You too, Lee."

Lee nodded slowly, looking confused.

Naruto saw red. He was so angry he wouldn't have been surprised if the sand underneath him was melting. _'How dare he? How dare he? After all the trust I put into him he's going to use this against me?'_

"You don't know?" Kakashi continued. "Want me to tell you?"

"Shut _up_!" Naruto screamed. Tears began to leak from his eyes. The shame of crying in front of everyone only added to his rage. "You know _nothing_ about how I feel! You have always been one of the greatest. My father personally wanted you as his apprentice! That's how _great_ you were."

He couldn't see. His tears were blurring everything. He didn't even realize he had stood up until he felt Lee restrain him in an iron hold. "You had _everything_ I ever wanted! Acceptance, acknowledgement, affection. You even had my _father!_"

He felt as if his heart was beating against his ears. His throat hurt from screaming. And then, like a shock wave, he realized what he had done. His tears abruptly stopped. His eyes frantically searching for Kakashi.

But to his surprise, he was sprawled several metres away from where he used to sit. Discombobulated, he could only shake his head as if rejecting what he was seeing.

"W-what?" He breathed out.

"What?" Lee repeated and Naruto couldn't comprehend why he was beaming down at him. "Look!"

Lee, in his excitement, grabbed Naruto's head and forced him to look at where Kakashi was getting back up his feet.

"I don't – what happened."

Naruto frowned in utter confusion when Kakashi appeared to be smiling as well.

"A squall, Naruto, squall." Lee chanted. "You created a squall. And such a powerful one that you knocked Kakashi clean off his feet. He flew, at _least_, thirty metres."

"Not bad." He even heard Neji mumble.

Naruto jumped when Kakashi appeared in front of him. "Well done, Naruto."

But Naruto could only gape at him.

"Sorry I had to rile you up like that, but I felt I had to remind you why you became a warrior in the first place."

"You did that so that I…" Naruto trailed off. Without warning, he punched him in the side. "I can't believe- wait, I did it."

Kakashi looked amused and proud. "You sure did."

"I wouldn't cheer if I were you." Shino began.

"And why not?" Neji asked with a raised chin. "Our little idiot had just done something rather spectaculair."

"Because his rather spectaculair squall wasn't only for our eyes to enjoy."

Kakashi froze. Noticing this, so did the others. "What's going on?"

"Bandits." Shino growled.

"Move!" Kakashi immediately ordered.

Everyone was on their feet, but by the time they were ready to head out they were already surrounded.

Masked men were riding horse-sized reptiles while the larger ones pulled wagons and caravans. Naruto caught sight of a young woman shielding an infant, both of them tied up, through the wagon curtains.

An androgynous young man with long, blond hair jumped out of one of the wagons and stepped forward. "Warriors." He spat, in a deep voice that did not suit his pretty face. "They never carry anything more than needed. Nothing valuable."

"Not always." Said another bandit, a redhead who's eyes seemed too cold for his appearance. "Sometimes they carry important information people will pay many coins for to keep secret." His eyes narrowed. "Sometimes, they themselves are the valuable things."

The blond smirked. "I guess. It's too bad that they don't have any females with them. They're worth more on the slave market. What says you, oh fearless leader."

Another man stepped forward. His lower face and head was covered by a tagelmust, but his green eyes pierced through the small sandstorm. "I say they're hiding something."

Naruto swallowed a snort and tried to look sincere when the green glare landed on him.

"You," The man said, pointing at Kakashi, "I know you."

"Do I owe you money?"

The man's eyes narrowed into what seemed to be a smirk. "Yes, you do."

Kakashi hummed, looking at the sky before sending Naruto a fleeting glance which he did not understand. "Looks like there's a sandstorm coming up."

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to get caught up in that one." The blond bandit stated with a smirk. "So why don't you all come with us?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely."

Naruto tried to understand Kakashi's actions, wondering why on earth he was doing what the bandits wanted. But when he turned around to see how the others reacted he noticed three of their companions were missing.

* * *

Shikamaru waited, more nervous than he wanted to admit, for a reaction from their king and queen.

"What?" Queen Tsunade breathed out, seemingly unable to process the information.

"As far as we know, there are seven namutri in total. And two of them are already in the Uchiha's possession. One which they used to disguise their two prodigies and the other which they just took from us." Shikamaru explained patiently. "The namutri are incredibly powerful. If they fall into the wrong hands-"

"Where is the rest?" King Jiraiya interfered. "Where is Kakashi?"

"Heading towards Suna where the third namutri is hidden."

"Why didn't they come here first?"

"It would've taken too much time. The Uchihas are already several steps ahead of us."

"I don't understand." Queen Tsunade asked, frowning. "Are the Uchihas our enemies or not?"

Shikamaru sighed. "We aren't entirely sure, my queen. We have no idea what they're doing or why. But it would be foolish to let them do as they please until we know more."

"Are they using the underground tunnels?"

"No."

"Why not?" King Jiraiya said with wide eyes. "The land of the hourglass is dangerous. It is infested with griffins, basilisks, bandits and massive reptiles that hide under the sand."

"They will have to pass through the lair of the Sphinx." Queen Tsunade continued. "She never allows anyone to pass. Especially not humans."

"It is most likely that the Uchiha have already taken over the tunnels."

"Still, they have more chance of surviving several Uchihas than the Sphinx herself. She is one of the Great Emperors." King Jiraiya stated. "Battling her is out of the question and I doubt that even you are smart enough to trick the Sphinx."

"Be so as it may, that doesn't change the fact that neither the Uchiha nor Suna must know what we are up to or we might as well give up now." Shikamaru snapped his mouth shut when the king held up his hand.

"Write a full, detailed report on what's happened and what is happening now. Be sure to add your opinions on the matter. I will arrange a meeting within three days. I trust you'll have finished it by then."

Shikamaru nodded before bowing. Though the king and queen had not reacted the way he had hoped, he was still grateful that they at least allowe him to share his views on the matter. However, he was less happy about the fact that they had shown more concern about the team's decision to act alone than the namutri.

As he exited the throne room he could not shake the feeling that their rulers were not going to be much help. He was almost ashamed to admit that after Naruto had revealed the lies their king and queen had told, his trust in them had decreased.

He adamently believed they were justified in acting alone considering the circumstance. And if they would have to fight this battle without their permision then so be it.

However, he would have to make sure that they would obtain more allies. Even with the zoanthropes at their side it would be suicide not to. From what the others had told him, the Uchihas had a zoanthrope or two on their side as well.

Shikamaru clenched his fists. He was not entirely unshaken by what the king and queen had said. The land of the hourglass was indeed dangerous even if you ignored the creatures that lived there.

The Sphinx alone was more than enough. She was a Great Emperor. A creature so powerful that in the ancient times people believed them to be gods.

He knew all too well what it was like to face one of the Great Emperors. He lost his mentor, the one who taught him everything, to one of them.

Jasshin and his nymphs. They used to be peaceful and loving. They were the dryads of the water. Beautiful and serene who sung with their brothers and sisters in the trees during spring. But the Great Wars changed everything.

They were driven out of their homes due to the blood and corpses polluting the water. Chased onto land where they eventually went mad.

On his first mission with Asuma, that's when he saw her. A white-haired nymph with pale skin and purple eyes. She had been singing about winter.

_"Oh mighty winter_

_Why are you so cold and angry?_

_Your wind is harsh_

_Your wind is harsh and it knows no mercy_

_Your frost is unkind_

_So unkind that it wounds us deeply_

_Be still, white world_

_Be silent, all."_

It was a beautiful song. It had lured them towards her, rendered defenseless by the sorrow in her soft voice. She had sliced Asuma's throat before either of them saw the severed head or the silver scythe laying beside her.

He would never forget the insanity in her eyes when she turned towards him. He would never forget the way she screamed at the sight of blood nor the way she had accidentally impaled herself on the headless corpse's sword.

"Excuse me?"

Shikamaru snapped out of his trance just before he took a tumble down the staircase. "Aren't you Naruto's fiancée?"

Sakura gave him a bitter smile. "You tell me. Where is he?"

"On his way to Suna. I'm the only one who returned in order to bring a report." Shikamaru studied her. It couldn't have been more obvious that she had been neglecting herself for a long time. She was so skinny that he feared a light breeze might send her flying into one of the palace towers. "Is he really worth that?" He said without wanting to.

"Yes!" The long-legged blondine accompanying her exclaimed. "You tell her. Tell her to stop sulking and fight, damnit."

Shikamaru frowned at her before turning to Sakura. He'd never seen anyone look so defeated in his life. "Fight, damnit?"

Sakura smiled weakly at his sarcasm, but she soon ran out of energy to maintain it. "Why is he going to Suna?"

"That's classified."

"Oh." Sakura said, her jaw clenching. Shikamaru almost took a step back when she began radiating heated rage. "Well, I was just thinking of going on vacation."

"Really?" Her blond friend asked, completely unaware of the fact that she was shaking in anger. "Where to?"

"Suna!" Sakura shouted into Shikamaru's face, startling him.

"Hey, wait! You can't-" He stopped when she whirled around, her jade eyes ablaze.

"I can't _what_?"

Shikamaru sighed. "If you're planning on going to Suna with the intention of interfering with their mission than I'll be forced to arrest you."

"Oh, really?"

"Sakura, wait. Don't do this." Her blond friend pleaded with soft eyes, moving to hug her.

"No, I'm tired of this!" Sakura yelled, causing her to jump back. "No one tells me _anything_. The man I love treated me like an _enemy_ when he returned from battle. He left without a word of goodbye. I had to cause havoc and chaos at the gates of the palace to find out where he disappeared to. And all I found out after that was that he was on some important mission!"

"He is." Shikamaru hissed back, unknowlingly defending Naruto. "And I'm sorry, but war tends to change people. He-"

"What about _me_?"

"If you're so worried about him then get your ass back to warrior school and _help him!_" Sakura froze. As did Shikamaru. He opened and closed his mouth several times, panic rising to his throat when the fire in her jade eyes vanished and she began to cry. "I-I'm sorry. That was- it was wrong for me to say that."

Sakura shook her head. "No. All I've done is cry and weep and feel sorry for myself."

"Sakura." Her blond friend wrapped her arms around her after giving Shikamaru a nasty look.

"He's right, Ino. I'm done crying." Sakura said, inhaling deeply in an attempt to stop her tears. She released a shaky breath before standing straight. "If you see Naruto again, tell him I'm coming. I'm coming to fight beside him."

Shikamaru stared at her in slight disbelief. "I will."

Her friend, Ino, proudly added, "The sooner the better. He'll need it to prepare for the awesomeness that will be her."

He snorted, still staring at Sakura. It was like he was staring at a completely different woman. The one from before was fragile enough to be bruised by a feather. But this one, this woman, could take on the entire Konoha army. "I believe you."

Sakura nodded curtly, her face determined as she turned around and walked down the steps. As soon as she was out of view, Shikamaru released a incredulous laugh. "Watch out, Naruto."

000

_Chapter XV – The Black Market, Part I_

"Sakura, wait!" Ino gasped as she tried to keep up with her long strides. Thankfully, she stopped. "Girl, you walk fast."

"What have I been doing?"

"What?"

"What have I been doing all this time?" Sakura demanded, turning to her. Ino stared at her, eyes wide and mouth open, not knowing what to say. "Why was I so pathetic and weak? Why was I waiting for _him_ to comfort _me_ when he was the one who needed my strength? _He_ was the one who saw the bloodshed, _he_ was the one who fought with the risk of losing his life."

"W-well, uh..."

"No wonder he was so angry." Sakura whispered, her eyes softening again. "Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry."

"Hey," Ino said, after getting her breath back, "It wasn't all your fault, you know. He has a mouth. He could've said something. Besides, wasn't he the one who wanted to become a big, tough warrior?"

"But I said I would support him, Ino. I promised to be his sanctuary. I was expecting something from him when it was my job to be there for him." Sakura clenched her fists, looking determined. "I will share his burden."

"Yeah." Ino began, uncertainly. "Even though I said all that stuff back there I wasn't really all that serious. I was just trying to impress that hottie. I mean, what about the apothecary?"

"My mother can run it. She keeps complaining about being stuck with dad anyway."

"Sakura, you can support him just fine from a safe distance."

"No, I can't. The guy isn't always the one in the wrong, Ino."

Ino stared at her. "Are you sure?"

Sakura smiled. A real smile which caught Ino off guard. "Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes, Ino."

"Really, really?"

Sakura raised her eyebrow, but nodded. "Why don't you join me if you're worried?"

Ino blinked, "Say what?"

"Imagine this: you kicking the testerones out of any man who will dare cheat on you or run off with your savings with your amazing warrior skills." Sakura said, smirking knowingly. "What do you think?"

Ino stared off into space with a thoughtful face. Slowly, a grin appeared. "Me likes."

000

_Chapter XV - The Black Markets, Part I_

"Okay," Neji hissed as he lifted herself out of the sand, "somebody tell me why those idiots let themselves be taken away without a single speck of resistance?"

"Desert bandits know where the black markets are." Shino answered.

"And _why_ do we need to know where the black markets are?"

"Because the only way to get into Suna without facing the Sphinx is through the underground tunnels."

Neji frowned, readying a nasty retort when she pauzed, "A secret passage."

Shino nodded. "Dark merchants and slave traders use a different tunnel to enter and exit Suna so not to get caught by the ones guarding the public tunnels."

"So are we going to follow them?" Kiba asked.

"We are." Shino stated. "Climb on my back. Neji can ride Akamaru."

Kiba didn't look pleased. Neither did Neji. She stared at the massive dog, particularly at the spots where the sand had stuck to its fur due to its saliva. She grimaced. "Why don't I just run?"

"You will ride Akamaru." Shino repeated, making it clear that it wasn't a suggestion.

Kiba looked apologetic as she swung her legs over her husband's broad shoulders. "He tends to buck off strangers so be sure to hold tight."

"Right." Neji replied slowly, cautiously stepping towards the dirty canine. As soon as she reached out he began to growl. She glared back. "Don't you dare bit me."

"Don't worry," Kiba said. "He only bites on command."

"Hurry up." Shino added.

Neji sneered at him, but did as she was told. Her face twisted in disgust when her thigh pressed against something wet and grainy. "This is nasty."

"Akamaru needs to be ridden. He will only turn if you guide him." Shino stated.

"I realize that." Neji replied snappishly.

"We shall see if you are able of something other than complaining." He said before seemingly _launching_ himself off at an incredible speed.

Neji gaped, too shell-shocked to decide whether it was because of his remark or his speed. Suddenly feeling less confident she gave Akamaru a small kick in the sides before promptly hugging him to prevent herself from flying off.

She soon realized that she had had a reason to lose confidence. Akamaru ran too fast to sit straight without some kind of bridle and the sand made it impossible for her to keep her eyes open. The only reason she knew she was running beside Shino was because Kiba was shouting something.

"What?" She managed to ask.

"Grab the fur on the side of his head!"

"His head?"

"Yes!"

Neji complied and immediately noticed that Akamaru ran smoother though equally as fast. Nonetheless, she couldn't even express her relief when they stopped.

"Are you alright?" Kiba asked. "You look pale."

"I look pale, do I?" Neji gasped as she stumbled off of Akamaru, not caring that it lacked her usual grace.

"Uh, your hair?"

Neji snapped her head towards her, giving her the meanest glare she could muster. "What about it?"

Kiba blinked. "Nothing. It looks fine. Better even."

"Where are we? Where is the black market?" Neji hissed.

"Silence. We are near it." Shino replied.

"Right. What do we do now?"

"My wife and I will be resting under that rock formation. You will not go near us and find some other place to sleep." Shino stated with a slight growl. "And take Akamaru with you."

Neji stared disbelievingly at him. "_What?_" She felt so scandalized that she could say nothing besides that, followed by a series of splutters and a frustrated scream.

Akamaru whined before seeking another rock to lay under.

* * *

_"Oh mighty winter_

_Why are you so cold and angry?_

_Your days are dark_

_Your days are dark and oh so fragile_

_Your nights are long_

_They're never ending and never gentle_

_Be still, white world_

_Be silent, all_

_Oh mighty winter_

_Do you truly intend to hurt me?"_

"Your voice is as lovely as mine."

Naruto snorted. "Like hell it is. He can carry a tune. You couldn't to save the world."

Kakashi glared at him. "I can sing just fine."

"Oh sure. It's not your voice, it's everyone else's ears."

The bandit named Deidara chuckled. "Do you know the song?"

Kakashi nodded. "One of the eleven songs of sorrow sung by the lovely nymphs." He pauzed. "The _once_ lovely nymphs."

"Oh, they're still lovely." Deidara said. "To me, at least. Surprisingly good at being bad, yeah."

"Tell me about it."

"Especially that high priestess of theirs. Yeah, she's good friends with the Uchiha prodigies."

Naruto froze.

"Really?" Kakashi replied, giving Naruto a warning stare. "Do they attend the same choir?"

Deidara smirked. "Nah, their king managed to get into their affections somehow. You familar with Hawk?"

"Hawk? Like the bird?"

"No, Hawk as in the king's assassin pets."

"Oh, those freaks." Naruto mumbled. "We know them."

"Well, rumor has it that they haven't been her favorites for a long time. She just pretends they are. Secretly, she is using the nymphs for all kinds of mysterious missions that not even her precious brother knows about."

"She?" Naruto choked.

Deidara stared at him. "Didn't you know? The Uchiha king is a woman. And a mighty fine one at that. Never seen anything like her. She puts even the nymphs to shame." He smirked. "She'd be worth millions on the black market. Mind you, so would her brother. Pure destruction that man."

"Wait a minute." Kakashi interfered before Naruto could. "You're saying that the Uchiha king, who is a woman, is keeping secrets from her people?"

"Oh yeah, and from what I've heard, they be mighty dangerous secrets. She's got her men taking over the tunnels. And if my memory serves right then she's coming to visit our dear princess tomorrow for some important business stuff."

"How do you know all this?" Lee asked.

Deidara laughed. "You'd be surprised at how much we know. A lot more than anyone ever hoped we would, that's for sure."

A knock on the wagon door made them all jump. "Stop chatting with the prisoners!"

"Oh shut up. It's not like they'll go telling everyone where they be going. Besides, they're better company than you grumpy criminals."

"That might have something to do with _someone_ blowing up our_ food stock_!"

Deidara laughed again. "Well, looks like gossip time is over. See you guys on the slave stands."

"Damn." Naruto mumbled when he left. "More questions just keep popping up."

"Seems like this might be bigger than we thought it was." Lee said.

"Bigger?" Naruto replied with wide eyes. "It already involved the entire world. How can it be bigger?"

"You have no idea, Naruto. No idea how dangerous this is getting." Kakashi said. "But lets focus on the job at hand for now."

"Which is?"

"Singing. Any request songs?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Am I the only one aware of our current situation?"

"Of course not. We're being held prisoner by desert bandits who are planning on selling us at the black market."

"So, why aren't we panicking?"

"Because this is what we want."

"It is?"

"It is." Kakashi said with a nod.

Naruto turned to Lee. The combat warrior was also giving Kakashi an odd look. "Why?"

"Because this way we can get into Suna without having to deal with the Sphinx."

"Of course. Because the Sphinx is..."

"The Sphinx is a cranky woman who'd sooner flatten us under one of her giant paws than let us pass peacefully."

"I thought we could pass if we solve one of her riddles?" Lee asked.

"Maybe she ran out of riddles?" Naruto said.

"She ran out of patience, most likely. The Sphinx is incredibly intelligent and she never liked humans much. Or any other race for that matter." Kakashi said.

"How intelligent?"

"If Shikamaru was ten times smarter than he is now he would still be a complete idiot compared to her."

Naruto whistled. "Smarter than ten of our walking encyclopedia?"

"I have a complaint." Lee said.

"Do tell." Kakashi replied.

"We are handcuffed."

"Yes, we are."

"This is not a bad thing?"

"Nope."

"Then how about this: They are going to lock us in cages that have probably held warriors much stronger than us."

"Probably."

"So why aren't we panicking again?"

"Because we need to get bought."

Lee sighed, giving up. "Of course, we do."

Naruto stared at a dent in the wood. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt a lot more scared and uncertain at the moment than he was letting on. Whenever he was reminded of the fact that he was handcuffed it sent alarmingly strong stings into his skin.

It reminded him of a youth he'd rather forget.

"You alright?"

Naruto lifted his head towards Kakashi, but turned when he realized it was Deidara, peering through the wagon curtains, who had spoken. "I'll live."

"You better. Zombies don't fetch a good price. You beter get some more of your life back or we'll have to beat some color onto your face." He said as he grabbed Lee's chains. "C'mon now. Time for the auction. Be charming and you might get a good owner."

* * *

"If I'm going to end up being somebody's footstool for the rest of my life I'm blaming you." Lee whispered harshly.

"Have a little more faith in me, will you?" Kakashi hissed back as he studied the other prisoners. "I know what I'm doing."

"Sounds like you guys aren't planning on staying here either." Naruto turned to where a pair of twins were seated next to three other people. One of the twins was smirking while the other appeared to be asleep.

"Well, seeing as we're about to get sold we aren't going to stay here long anyway."

"True, but everyone with a bit of a brain knows that the black market is the safest way of getting into Suna undetected." His smirk widened. "Looks we aren't the only ones up to something."

"Let them be. It is none of our business." A large, chubby man said.

Naruto remained silent, unsure of how to react. He discreetly glanced at Kakashi and immediately noticed the wary tension in his body. Stiffening slightly, he turned back to study the group.

Both twins were cross-dressers. They wore a female kimono with high heels and their lips were painted blue. Next to them was an odd man with four arms and tanned skin, playing with a large arachnid. The large, chubby man had a woman in his lap with red hair and boyish clothes.

All in all, they were a weird looking bunch, but something about Kakashi's body language told Naruto that he knew them. And that them being here was not a good thing.

The sound of a rusty bell caught everyone's attention.

"Get up, maggots. The customers are here. When I call your name you step forward. You might want to make yourself pretty while you wait."


	7. Chapter 7

Name – Goddess

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Kiba, Fem-Neji, Fem-Gaara, language, bad humor

Chapter Pairings – ShinoKiba, (Slight) GaaNaru, (Slight) LeeNeji

_Hi guys,_

_I'm so sorry for making you wait so long when I said I would post a new chapter every week, but something happened. You see, my computer crashed and all the chapters that I had written vanished with everything else, including some very important essays and stuff. So you can probably imagine that I freaked and that Goddess wasn't on top of my list to rewrite._

_So unfortunately, I can't update every week seeing as I have to start from scratch now._

_Nonetheless, I apologize for the wait and not telling you earlier. I thought I was going to get a chapter done before it took too long, but I thought wrong. I caught myself mixing chapters together and forgetting plot points. I have to admit that I'm not very pleased with this chapter. I feel that the 'original' one was much better. Also, it's shorter than the previous chapters. _

_Vee_

Elemental Dragon Swordsman – _Sorry for the wait. _

_Who did you think was going to buy him? You got me curious. _

An Uchiha Black – _Sorry for the wait._

_Aw, thank you. I thought your english was just fine. And as for your question… read this chapter and you'll see. ;)_

Hyuuzumaki lover – _Sorry for the wait._

_I have to admit. I kind of did that on purpose. I know that a lot of people don't like Sakura for some reason, but I adore her. I'm trying to write her in a way that shows she does have her bad sides, but she is very loyal and a good person. I felt that I needed to create some sympathy for her in order to really make it work._

_And as for the Kyuubi/Naruto/love part… maybe you're right, maybe you're not :P_

Fuzzlets – _Sorry for the wait._

_Cute name :D. Thanks. Hope you enjoy this chapter too._

Sexy-n luvn it – _Sorry for the wait._

_Hehe, you're comment about Ino made me laugh. Hope you like this chapter, Sexy :P_

StigmaReborn – _Sorry for the wait._

_... You're a guy? Seriously? Awesome! I was beginning to think was female-members only site. _

_Of course, I couldn't just let them get in the easy way. _

_You're absolutely correct regarding the whole Kakashi/Naruto scene. Kyuubi is not gone. It's still there, biding it's time, waiting for the correct moment to jump in and brainwash Naruto again._

_You're partially right about the hades element issue. You see, the hades element is affected by Kyuubi's emotions. However, since it retreated back into it's cage/dungeon-sewer thing/Naruto's mind it no longer reacts to anything happening outside of Naruto. Much like it went before Naruto blacked out during his fight with Sasuke. It knows what's happening within Naruto, but it's no longer interfering. _

_Also, the master elements are incredibly difficult to control. And don't always work the way people want them to. Kakashi actually took a big risk by provoking Naruto. _

_I think I might be stating a point in the plot by saying this, but I'm no longer sure since all my chapters and info about _Goddess_ is currently floating somewhere lost in cyberspace... but, hey._

_You see, the very first time Naruto used the hades element it wasn't Naruto at all. It was Kyuubi who used it on Suigetsu and later Naruto used it on Karin. However, when Naruto used it he was conscious of it. He consciously choose to use the hades element at that moment and combined with his emotions it happened to work out right._

_I'm glad you pointed out the power level measuring thing. 'Cause I really wanted to make it clear that even though Naruto might not seem very powerful at this point, he actually achieved a lot and done some amazing things all by himself. With no extra money to spare or handy tutors to teach him._

_And, well, love is a confusing thing. I think Sakura... hell, I don't know. I'm not a dude, but I'm plenty retarded concerning love. :P_

_Sakura, to me, is a young woman who desires and has desired romantic love for a better part of her life. Ready to sacrifice maybe too much for something she doesn't completely understand... Heh, you might be right._

_Yeah, the match might not be who or what you think it might be. Especially since I've forgotten large portions of what happens while they're in Suna. And since I my chapters and extra info on the whole _Goddess_ series has vanished I have to start from scratch. Oh well, I'll make it happen, somehow. _

_Can't wait to hear your opinions on this chapter. I'm worried that I might have rushed it because I wanted to post it as quick as possible. The panic might show._

D-trav – _Sorry for the wait._

_Aw, thanks. That made me giddy. As for the quality... heh, I can't really say since I lost all the chapters I've written so far and am now forced to remember what happens next in Suna. Oh well, I hope I managed to break through the irritation and everything and write a good chapter anyway._

NeoRyu – _Sorry for the wait._

_Thank you so much! I try to focus on little things about each character._

_Like Neji, who feels the weight of the clan on her shoulders, seems mean and snooty and selfish. And is scared to love a man she knows her clan won't approve of._

_With Lee, it's his appearance. I try to emphasize the fact that even though he seems common and isn't as handsome as some of the other male characters, he's got a certain attraction to him. Physically, I mean. _

_I have to admit, I struggle with his character. Though in the manga and anime he is portrayed as hyperactive, overly determined and more than a little silly, I kind of see him as a gentle, simple soul with a heart bursting with love._

_Hehe, actually Deidara's gay in _Goddess. _If anything, he's got the hots for Itachi. :P_

_I agree with you on the ItaSasu part. Even though I'm still confused about my own opinions on incest entirely, I feel like the manga twisted it into this. With the way Itachi devoted basically the rest of his life to a plan that would 'save' Sasuke from everything that was destroying him, I think I have a right to get the idea he was obsessed with Sasuke._

_Well, read this chapter and you'll see when they'll meet once more. It's going to be very interesting, that's for sure. At least, I hope so..._

_Yup, I want to keep it vague whether or not Sasuke is good guy or a bad guy (or girl, if you will)._

_I'm apologize again for the late update. But, I'm not planning on leaving this story unfinished._

_Aw, thanks. Well, my mom taught me English from a young age. That helped. :D_

_Hope you like this chapter, neighbor :D_

MarcAnthonyCantor – _Sorry for the wait._

_Thank you. I hope you like this chapter as much as the other ones. _

A/N – _I forgot to mention that I also gender-bended TenTen. She's a boy now. A hot one too. Also, Neji and Hinata are sisters, not cousins. And I apologize once more. I feel really bad about it._

000

_Chapter XVI – The Black Markets, Part II_

"Make ourselves pretty?" One of the twins said incredulously, "Not much use in doing that if they're going to strip us naked."

Naruto felt a shiver go down his spine. "Naked?"

He smirked, licking his blue lips. "Yep, you'll be wagging it in front of a whole audience, Blondie."

"You've got somethin' ta hide?" The redheaded tomboy Naruto thought had been sleeping the whole time, said with a smirk. 'Somethin' smaller than it oughta be, eh?"

Naruto glared at her, but didn't reply. It wasn't like he was insecure. He was a warrior. There was nothing on his body he had to be ashamed of…. Except for one thing.

He doubted anyone in the audience would be stupid enough to mistake the seal on his stomach for a fancy tattoo. Who knew what would happen if they saw it?

Would they know?

Those bandits knew a lot. Things that were supposed to be dangerous secrets. There could be a chance they knew what the seal was for.

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, frowning in worry when he spotted the tense look on his face. "We have to do something." He mouthed to him when the rest was distacted as the door opened and the third number was called.

Both Kakashi and himself watched the young boy kick and cry and scream until the elderly man lost patience and pulled him by his hair.

Naruto pursed his lips, angry at the thought that that young boy would become someone else's property.

"Are you professional cross-dressers?" He suddenly heard Kakashi say.

"Why? Wanna give us a visit later on, big boy?" One of them said while batting his eyelashes.

"Actually, I was wondering if you had brought your make-up case with you."

The twins exchanged looks. "Oh, don't tell me… you're one of us?"

"Uh, yes?"

The twins smirked. "Like hell you are, big boy. Why do you want it?"

"A little blush on the cheeks to look more lively has never done a slave wrong." Kakashi said smoothly.

One of them chuckled. "I don't believe a word you're saying. But I gotta admit, you're a charmer. I'll humor you this time. I happen to have some tucked away in my stockings." His smirk widened. "You're going have to get it yourself though, big boy."

Kakashi's forced smile disappeared.

Naruto had to fight with all he got to keep himself from laughing out loud. However, several moments later it was Kakashi who was laughing and he didn't even bother to hide it.

Lee had one of the make-up brushes in his mouth, dipping it into the foundation that matched Naruto's skin tone best every now and then, before painting it over the symbols around his navel.

Naruto's face went beetred when he realized how it must have looked to the people who he had turned his back to. He desperately tried to ignore the twins' catcalls and whistles.

His only comfort was that Lee looked as pained as he did. His nose was pink and Naruto could already see bite marks on the brush handle from where he bit it too hard.

"Hurry up." Naruto hissed quietly.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Lee snapped back as he dipped the brush in the make-up again.

"Looks like someone is getting impatient." He heard the redheaded tomboy say with a chuckle.

"Shoot me." Naruto groaned which only resulted in another string of whistles.

The distraction caused everyone to jump violently when the door suddenly swung open once more.

"Number 8." The elderly man called out.

"That's you." Lee hissed, panic evident in his voice. He messily brushed the foundation over the last pieces of the seal, biting his tongue in his hurry.

"Number 8!"

"I'm coming!" Naruto shouted back.

"Bet you are." He heard one the twins say.

He sneered at them as he passed.

Naruto had nothing to be ashamed of. That's what he kept telling himself as complete strangers undressed him none too gently. Their rough fingers bumped against his skin and with every touch the knot in his stomach grew bigger.

He released a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding when none of the strangers seemed to notice the make-up around his navel.

It was cold. His arms were adorned with tiny goosebumps. He bit his lip to prevent a shocked cry from escaping when they dunked a bucket of even colder water over him.

He counted the steps he had to walk from the cold room to the slave stands. Precisely eleven steps.

He briefly wondered what kind of people would be sitting in the audience as the doors opened. He hung his head as they led him onto the platform. He tried to ignore the drops of blood staining the wood.

Despite the booming in his ears, Naruto could hear some of the whispered comments.

"-very toned-"

"-bad self-presentation-"

"-always wanted a blond-"

"-can't see his face-"

"-looks disobedient-"

"-a good whipping should help-"

Trying to force some of the tension away, Naruto took a gulp and lifted his head. He blinked into the bright lights, half-hearing the collective gasp.

"-sapphires-"

"-not pleased with the scars-"

"-creature of sun or sea-"

"We'll start at 80 golden coins!" A loud and vaguely familiar voice began, silencing the room. Naruto tried to see who it was, but couldn't. The lights prevented him from seeing any further than his nose.

"90!" he heard a male's voice shout.

"100!" A young woman.

"150!" Another woman. Though this one sounded a lot older.

"170!" A young man.

"220!"

"270!"

"380!"

"3000!" A deep voice shouted, causing the yelling to cease. "Including an invitation to tomorrow's ball, Sir Kakuzu."

Naruto had no idea what was happening, but he jumped out of his skin when 'Kakuzu' screamed. "Sold!"

* * *

Thinking, researching, solving, learning and even knowing were his strengths. It was something Chouji had always admired in his friend. He stared silently at him, wondering what was going through his head as he studied the pages of probably one of the thickest books in all of Konoha.

Shikamaru was perched on a chair. He hardly ever sat on one. Especially if he was working on something complex. He would always crouch and put his hands together in a certain manner which had led many to believe it was some kind of technique or trick. But Chouji knew better.

His friend was a genius.

"What are you studying?" Chouji asked.

Shikamaru sighed before rubbing his head. "Energy."

"What kind?"

"All kinds." Shikamaru replied while lighting a cigarette. "An individual's energy is produced by their own body. Physical energy is created by burning fat. Spiritual energy, also known as chakra or chi, is created by the brain which allows us to use certain abilities depending on the characteristics of the individual's energy."

Chouji nodded to indicate he was listening.

"The characteristics in spiritual energy sometimes allows us to control and manipulate the elements. If our spiritual energy matches that of the element we can pour it into, for instance, water it will enable us to bend it to our will." Shikamaru continued, "But magic is different."

"Magic?"

"Magic is the only known energy which is not produced by the body. It is molded by the body instead, meaning it was a different kind of energy before our body changed it to our advantage." Shikamaru explained, rubbing his head again. "This energy has a source. A living source. How could there be a living source if magic is the oldest energy in the world? What kind of energy was it before it entered our body?"

Chouji wrinkled his nose in confusion. Not wanting to admit that he didn't really understand, he asked, "But stealing energy from someone else is dangerous, isn't it?"

Shikamaru snapped his head towards him. "What?"

Chouji blinked. "Like mages. Unlike magicians, they steal the energy they use in their spells. If that happens too often than the victim will eventually die. That's why mages are banned in most countries and kingdoms."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. He stood completely still for several seconds. Just when Chouji was about to ask if he was alright, he frantically began searching for something in the book.

After a while Shikamaru slammed his fist on the table, surprising his friend, "Damn it, I need more information. This isn't good enough." He hissed, throwing the book to the floor.

"Uh, Shikamaru?"

"How am I supposed to find the answers to all these questions? We don't even really know what magic is, let alone what it was before it became magic." Shikamaru bit his lip. "Shit."

"What?"

"I just realized," Shikamaru began, dropping his head in his hands, "the Uchiha clan might know."

Chouji froze. "Come again? Know what?"

Shikamaru ignored him. He played with his cigarette, trying to calm himself down. "It's older than the elves, older than the dryads. It has a massive amount of powerful energy so potent that the entire world has access to it."

"The Great Emperors?" Chouji suggested.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Not even they are old enough."

"The…dead?"

"The dead don't have any energy. That's why they're dead, Chouji."

"Right. Sorry." Chouji jumped when the doorbell rang.

"Now what?" Shikamaru groaned as he got up to answer the door.

"Hi!"

"Something wrong?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Ino said, clapping her hands together and looking relieved to see him. "We need your help."

"We?"

"Me and Sakura." Ino said, before launching into an explanation. "So me and Sakura went to the warrior academy, right? They totally rejected us – they even slammed the door in our faces, those bastards. We tried to tell them that money isn't that big of an issue. And Sakura only needs to finish some of her classes to graduate. But they were making such a big deal out of everything – it was ridiculous, honestly. They were so rude."

Shikamaru nodded absently as he tried to keep up.

"We even tried to talk to Sakura's favorite teacher, but he told her to give it up. Such an asshole, he was. He told us that our best bet was to give some 'favors' if you get what I'm saying. The utter bastard. But, anyway, Sakura was devastated. She's still banging on the doors. She won't stop. You've _got_ to do something!"

"Wait a minute, let's see if I got this right. Everyone was a bastard who wouldn't let you into the academy for some reason and Sakura wouldn't take no for an answer so she's still trying to convince them?"

Ino nodded. "Yeah."

"And you want me to do what now?"

"Something! _Anything_!"

Shikamaru sighed. Women were so annoying. Why couldn't she have just bobbed her over the head with her purse and dragged her away? It looked heavy enough to knock out a zoanthrope. What did women carry around in those things anyway? Rocks? Trees?

Shikamaru started, making Ino jump in surprise. "What?" She asked nervously when a smile appeared on his face.

"Trees."

"Huh?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Never mind. Tell me, how much education did Sakura get?"

Ino raised her eyebrow, "She dropped out in the middle of her last year to take over the apothecary after Naruto proposed to her."

"What are her abilities?"

"Healing is the only one I know of, but I think she has more."

"And you?"

Ino blanced. "Me? Uh…none?"

"Great!" Shikamaru said, giving Ino the impression that he wasn't really listening. "Get Sakura and meet me at the Konoha gates at sundown. Pack warrior gear."

"What? But I can't- hey, don't close the door on me!"

Shikamaru ignored her. "Chouji, do you have any missions?"

"No, but I'm helping with rebuilding the palace."

"Good, you're free. I need your help with something. Meet me at the gates at sundown. Be prepared to head out." Shikamaru said. He didn't give Chouji a chance to reply. He was out the door before he could even open his mouth.

He was in a hurry. Sundown was only three hours away and he still had three more people to add to his team. He was taking a lot of risks, but he knew that leaping into something this big with so little information was even more dangerous.

Shikamaru took a deep breath before he knocked on the door, praying to whatever deity listening that his mother wasn't home. He forced a smile to his face when the door opened.

"Shikamaru." His father wasn't fooled. "What's wrong?"

Shikamaru dropped the smile with a sigh, "I need your help."

Shikaku frowned. "Come inside and tell me everything."

000

_Chapter XVII – Seasons_

Naruto remained silent as he followed the man who bought him. He had not yet seen his face and didn't know his name, but he knew that something wasn't right. This man had paid 3000 golden coins for him. That was a lot of gold for just one slave even if his coloring was rare.

"What's your name?" He said abrubtly.

"Naruto."

"Your full name."

Naruto frowned, suspicion eating away at him. "Uzumaki Naruto." He said, thinking it would be better to tell the truth.

The man turned around. His hair was covered by a hood and his face was marked with purple lines. His black eyes did not betray a single thing. "My name is Sabaku no Kankuro. I am a prince of Suna."

Naruto blinked before shaking his head. "You're a what?"

Kankuro smirked. "A prince of Suna." He repeated with a charming accent. "My sister has always wanted to meet you, Uzumaki Naruto."

"What?" Naruto looked at the man before him as if he had lost his mind, "Why would a princess want to meet me? How does she even know me?"

"Everyone knows the name of Namikaze Minato's son." Kankuro replied, before his face turned serious, "Everyone knows Kyuubi."

Naruto stiffened. "I don't know what you-"

"Were you alone?" Kankuro interrupted.

Naruto stared at him. He had no idea what was going on. "No, two other warriors were with me. Are you going to buy them?"

Kankuro looked at him as if he was crazy. "Of course, you wouldn't be pleased if we didn't."

"_What?_"

"Come on, we must hurry before they get bought by someone else." Kankuro said, rummaging through the bag he was carrying. He pulled out Naruto's armor. "Get dressed."

Naruto did as he was told, despite being unsure of whether doing so was a good idea. The plan had been to spark a resistance just before entering Suna.

Kakashi had told them that their 'masters' would give them a collar instead of cuffs, especially if they were deluded into thinking they were obedient. It would be easy to wrench the chains out of their hands, flee and hide before meeting up near the hidden entrance again when it was safe.

As he followed Kankuro back to the slave stands, he began to feel anxious. He didn't know whether he was to be trusted, but if what he said was true and his intentions were honest than maybe things would turn out better than any of them could hope.

Especially if Deidara's information was correct.

Naruto couldn't tell whether he had been more uncomfortable on the platform than he was now, sitting in the front row next to a prince of Suna, waiting for his teammates. He fidgeted with the shackles around his wrists.

Kankuro had put them on to avoid suspicion. As long as he was in the lair of the bandits, he was a slave. The prince couldn't give him a collar until they were out of the auction house.

The middle-aged woman sitting next to him kept glancing at him and whenever he caught her eyes she would smile in a way that give him goosebumps. All of her teeth were gold and her long red nails made some very suggestive motions.

He tried to shuffle closer to Kankuro, only to have her move closer as well. Her heavy perfume made him nauseous.

He tried to concentrate on the slave stands, but seeing the naked men,women and children shivering and crying on the platform didn't help at all.

The announcer, named Kakuzu who presumably owned the slave market, turned out to be the green-eyed bandit wearing the tagelmust. However, now he was wearing a mask similar to Kakashi's.

He was sweating heavily in the harsh limelights, but seemed entirely unaffected by it. The higher the bid, the more excited he became.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Naruto spotted Lee's head coming out of the door behind the platform. His hair was still damp from the cold shower and his bangs had been combed backwards to reveal more of his face.

"Is he a friend?" Kankuro whispered discreetly.

Naruto nodded. "Yes."

Lee appeared to be even more self-conscious than Naruto had been. He froze completely after catching a glimpse of the audience. Two of the men that had led him through the door had to push him onto the slave stands.

As he stood there Naruto couldn't help but think that Lee had absolutely no reason to be ashamed. Admittedly, he wasn't the best-looking guy he'd seen on the platform. The young male before him had even Naruto staring.

It was obvious that Lee did not belong to a clan. His face was very boyish and his features seemed to clash as opposed to defined and even. His coloring was common and there was nothing particularly special that made him stand out.

Nonetheless, Naruto heard several women gasp or suck in their breath when he stood before them.

He was tall and his long limbs only added to his height. The tension in his body seemed to expose every line of muscle while the light made his scars seem almost charming.

"A warrior, no doubt about it." He heard the woman beside him say to one of her daughters.

"Can I have him, momma? Please, please?"

Naruto turned and nearly choked on his tongue at the sight of an eleven year-old girl tugging at the woman's sleeve.

"We'll start at 90 coins!"

* * *

The sun was rising. The sky was painted with bursts of vibrant colors, outlining the oddly round-shaped buildings. They were stacked above another, creating strangely artistic towers, all of them connected by a complex system of bridges.

Suna was a beautiful country. Something Naruto would have probably never known had his first view of it not been from the balcony of the royal palace.

He still couldn't believe it. He had been welcomed into this land by a prince because of what he was.

He stared at the inner city of Suna, trying to figure out how the people could tell which house was whose as he listened to Lee's soft snores and Kakashi's barely audible sighs. He should be sleeping, but the restlessness in both his body and mind wouldn't allow him to keep still.

So many things were happening, so many things at once.

There was the whole thing with the Uchiha clan and their two infernal prodigies. Then there were the orbs. Of course, they had to get a zoanthrope clan involved. They had Orochimaru and his country to worry about. Kyuubi acting up before seemingly dissapearing, making Naruto wonder if he was going crazy. His relationship with Sakura was falling apart. And something about nymphs?

Naruto sighed, partially regretting getting himself mixed up in the madness while knowing he'd never forgive himself if he hadn't.

"Something wrong?"

Naruto jumped out of his skin when a warm hand landed on his shoulder. Lee smirked at him. "Wrong? What makes you think that?" Naruto tried.

Lee gave him a look. "You're sighing more than Kakashi. And you're not sleeping even though you're probably exhausted."

Naruto sighed again. "I'm worried."

"About?"

"Everything." Naruto rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore the ache behind them that seemed to want to push them out of his sockets. "Everything's so confusing and messed up. My own thoughts don't make sense to me anymore and it scares me."

"What thoughts?"

Naruto glanced at Lee. Although he hadn't given it much that at the time, he wondered if Lee had made the connection after seeing his seal.

As if hearing his thoughts, Lee smiled and said: "I know."

Naruto choked on his tongue. "Know? Know what?"

"About Kyuubi."

"Since when?"

"Since you passed out."

"Oh." Naruto couldn't bring himself to say more. An awkward silence followed.

"Is that what you're worried about?" Lee asked.

"Among other things." Naruto admitted. "I've got several lifetimes worth of problems, it seems."

"Well, you're young."

"I'm not much younger than you." Naruto grumbled.

"Gai-sensei would say that you're at the age of spring." Lee continued, unbothered.

"Spring?"

"Because we're gardens. Every part of us is like a flower. It grows and grows, but once it's in bloom you don't really know what to do with it so you just look at it."

"So what are you supposed to do with it?"

"Pluck it, and show it to those you love and trust, before it wilts."

"I don't really get it."

Lee chuckled. "Well, from what I gathered it means that we're young so there are many things that we don't understand, that seem so big or out of our reach. But even though it seems hopeless we can't just let it go or spring will be over. We won't be able to make a change whether we want to or not."

Naruto scrunched up his nose even more. "I still don't get what you're trying to say. You think I'm making my problems bigger than they are."

"No, I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that there's hope, Naruto. Try to think about that flower once in a while."

"I don't see the flower anywhere." Naruto snorted.

"It's there." Lee persisted. "A white lily hidden among all those black roses."

"A white lily, huh?"

"Never give in. If you do the flowers will wilt and you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Naruto nodded, thinking that instead of a white lily his hope might be a Sakura tree. "So what do I do with the black roses? Those are flowers too."

Lee shrugged. "Ask Gai-sensei. I'm still trying to figure out that part too. I don't even really know if that's what he meant by it."

He glanced at Lee once more. "Thanks."

"Well, it wasn't the best advice, I admit. Kakashi probably-"

"No, for accepting me."

Lee blinked. "Well, of course."

Maybe it was his fatigue, but the way Lee said it, as if it was the most obvious thing to do, damn near made him cry.

He laughed instead.

* * *

"So are you going to tell us where we are going so some of us can prepare themselves?" Ino said, not sounding half as confident as she intended.

"We're going to the edge of the Dryad Meadow." Shikamaru said, before rolling his eyes when he heard five pairs of feet come to a sudden stop.

"_What_?"

"Dryad Meadow." He repeated tonelessly. He turned around and assessed his team.

Sakura and Ino, though the former had nearly completed her warrior education neither have had actual battle experience.

Still, one of Sakura's abilities was healing which was always useful. And as she had demonstrated when they had encountered a forest golem, her other ability was super strength which combined with her anger made her dangerous enough. And as far as Shikamaru could tell, she was a fast learner.

Ino belonged to the Yamanaka clan thus she had to have superb energy tracing abilities. She did not know how to defend herself, but that didn't bother him half as much as her extreme self-esteem issues. However, the girl was fast. Incredibly fast.

Chouji was his best friend, but that wasn't the reason Shikamaru usually added him to his team. Chouji was a force often underestimated. Not only did he have access to his clans soldier pills, he was also a very able warrior with his combined abilities of brute strength, size manipulation and sky high defense.

TenTen was well-known to be one of the best weapon specialists of Konoha. He was the son of a blacksmith, but he fought tooth and nail to become the warrior he was to today. He had determination, intelligence and many other things Shikamaru valued in a team member.

Hinata was a lot like Chouji. She was often overshadowed by her genius older sister. Speaking of Neji, she'd probably kill him if she knew he'd taken her on such a dangerous mission. But Shikamaru often saw what others didn't. Hinata was not weak nor fragile. She was tougher than the surface would show. Neither her stuttering nor her shyness were enough to make him blind to that fact.

The last member of his team was Yamato. His father had recommended him after their discussion. Yamato was a former royal guard. He now worked as an assassin. He had many connections and according to his father he was their ticket into getting away scot-free if the royal family found out about their unplanned mission. He didn't know what his abilities were or just how strong he was, but he knew he was a not a man to be messed with. He had the same look in his eyes as Hatake Kakashi.

He was the only one who knew where they were going and why. It hadn't taken a lot of words to explain the situation to him or the importance of this mission. Yamato had understood everything perfectly after listening patiently to Shikamaru's plans.

He knew that Chouji would follow him through fire but, he had a feeling that the rest wouldn't be so easy.

"For the last time, we're going to Dryad Meadow."

"The place is a graveyard. It's infested with gorgonsires, Others and fenrirs." TenTen replied with forced calmness. "It's probably one of the most haunted places in the world. A well-known gathering spot for vengeful spirits and ghosts. The only people who managed to return were possessed and died from the exorcism."

"I know that." Shikamaru sighed, scratching his cheek. He knew there was no way he could explain it in a way that would satisfy all of them, thus he had to try and put as much emphasis into the importance of the mission as possible.

"G-ghosts?" Ino muttered weakly, going deathly pale. "You want us to fight ghosts?"

"You can't kill ghosts!" Sakura continued. "You can't even see or touch them if they don't want you to!"

"But they can do whatever they want to us." TenTen stated. "Did we mention that they're vengeful?"

Shikamaru grimaced. "The world... is in danger." He began carefully. He waited for a response, but all of them seemed to have frozen.

It was Chouji who recovered first. "What do you mean? Does this have something to do with your research?"

Shikamaru nodded. "The orb that the Uchiha clan took from the vault is known as a namutri. There are seven of them. Each of them contain an energy over a million years old that is more potent and powerful than magic."

"Wait, what?" Sakura started, but she was shushed by Yamato.

Shikamaru sighed again before continuing. He watched as their expressions changed from shock, to disbelief, to anger, to fear before finally going blank. He allowed them to process what they had been told, waited for them to start asking questions.

"S-so," Hinata started, causing everyone to look at her. But she stopped suddenly, hiding her face with the long sleeves of her kimono.

"This is not what I was expecting to hear." TenTen admitted, still looking at Hinata. "This- this is..."

Shikamaru closed his eyes, trying to will away the exhaustion behind them. "Yesterday, I was researching energy. Though I came little closer to the truth, Chouji said something that made me rethink my approach. He said that basically we are stealing the energy from the source."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, if you look at it that way we are. Much like mages do. So if we continue than the source will eventually die."

TenTen scowled. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

"You should." Yamato said before Shikamaru could. "The source is unimaginably old and powerful. However, we've never noticed its existence. Mainly due to the fact that, unlike the tailed demons, it isn't sinister."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning it could be vital to our very way of life."

"Not just ours." Shikamaru added. "Everyone's. Every_thing_ could be depending on the survival and existence of this source. If it dies, the aphrodite plague and the namutri will become the least of our concerns."

"So what do we do?" Ino asked. She was almost as white as snow and she was trembling.

"We must find it before all else."

"And how do we do that?" TenTen said as he folded his hands, his shoulders stiff and tense. "By getting ourselves killed in the Dryad Meadow?"

"Dryads are the oldest creatures in the world. Because of that they know and understand things no one else does. They have a connection with the living realm we couldn't even hope to achieve." Yamato explained.

"Exactly." Shikamaru said, glaring at TenTen. "I know the chances of us finding a sane dryad whose willing to help us is close to zero, but we have to try. And if it fails, we can just continue with plan B."

"Why not just go with plan B?" Ino immediately said. "It is safer? It probably is."

Shikamaru sighed. "You could say that plan B depends a lot on you."

Ino blinked. "Me?"

"Your clan specializes in energy tracing."

"I don't like the sound of that." Sakura started. "First of all, Ino quit her clan school after three years so her energy tracing isn't the best. Secondly, she needs to know the energy traits before she can trace it."

"Which means we'll have to find one of those namutri things, right?" Chouji said.

"That doesn't sound safer to me." Ino replied.

Shikamaru scowled in annoyance. "It isn't. I never said it was safer. _Listen_ to me. We're going to Dryad Meadow to get information on the source. If it fails we'll have no _choice_ but to go on with plan B."

"Why do we need the information?"

"How are we going to save something if we don't even know what it is? You tell me what we're going to do once we find it without knowing _anything_ about it." Shikamaru snapped, glaring at Sakura. She glared back, but didn't comment.

TenTen did it for her. "The dryads have all gone nuts. There is no way we're going to get anything sensible out of them even if we find one that doesn't want to stab us in the neck."

"You know, there's a good chance that the faltering health has something to do with the dryads' insanity." Yamato interrupted before it turned into a fight. "And there's always the nymphs."

Shikamaru froze.

"The nymphs?"

"They are as old as the dryads though some people tend to forget that."

"Didn't they go berserk too?" TenTen asked with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously, they're all going nuts. All the elder races. One by one."

"There are more?" Sakura inquired.

"Well, there's the efreets. And the garudas. Four elder races. One for the forest, one of the water, one for the sky and one of the land."

"That's not right." Shikamaru whispered.

Yamato turned to him. "What?"

"There are five elder races. The dryads for the flora, the nymphs for the water, the efreet for the lands, the garudas for the skies and the... elves for the fauna."

Yamato narrowed his eyes. "That was never proven."

"I believe it to be so." Shikamaru said in the same soft voice.

"Are you alright?" Chouji asked, stepping forward and looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about winter."

Chouji's face fell and he nodded in understanding.

"We're going to Dryad Meadow." Shikamaru said, louder this time. "If you don't want to come, fine, but I'm going."

Without another word he turned around and started walking again.

* * *

Naruto had always had some sort of fascination with green eyes. It probably began after he met Sakura and noticed how rare they were. In the years that followed, green eyes started to have an effect on him. They shone differently, in a way that suggested there was some kind of magic happening behind them.

Afterall, green was the color of life and so Naruto liked to think that those born with green eyes were meant to fight for it. Maybe that was why he instantly felt a connection with the one standing before him.

She was beautiful. Her hair was short, uncommon for a woman, and it was blood red. It stood out magnificently against her pale skin and contrasted with her large green eyes. Her kimono was entirely white and it looked different from the ones he'd seen before yet it could tell just by looking at it that she was royalty whether she'd been sitting on the throne or not.

The kimono slid off of both her shoulders, revealing the colorful tattoos covering both her arms and a fair amount of cleavage. Her exposed legs were also decorated, stopping at her ankles and giving the impression of socks. Her slippers seemed out of place under the expensive kimono.

Despite her feminine attire, there was something boyish about her that had nothing to do with her short hair. The tall, dark blond woman sitting beside her had the same thing. But he wasn't nearly as interested in her as in –

"Gaara, Queen of Suna and Princess of the Sands, welcomes you." A guard shouted.

"We are honored." Kakashi replied with a bow which Naruto and Lee copied.

"Hatake Kakashi, Lone Wolf of Konoha," Gaara said. Even her voice sounded boyish. "We've met before."

"We have."

"Take a seat." Gaara waved at the empty seats around the massive dinner table. "I believe Konoha still goes by our contract?"

"Of course."

Gaara's voice, though boyish, was expressive. Her face, however, held traces of neither smile, tears of any other kind of emotion. "Then, I wonder why you thought you'd need to use such an unorthodox way of entering my country."

Kakashi laughed as he sat down. "The tunnels were guarded by more than just soldiers from Suna. We were merely being careful."

"They are from the Uchiha clan. Their king is coming to visit today so they added their guards to ours."

"Uchiha?"

Gaara nodded. "I trust you will join us?"

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, squirming uncomfortably.

"Of course." Kakashi replied.

Naruto blanched. He faintly heard Lee choking on his drink. He turned to look at him, but caught the eyes of the queen. She stared long and hard at him.

"You're Uzumaki Naruto." She said.

Unsure of how to react, Naruto nodded and said, "Yes, I am."

And to his surprise, the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a slight smile. "Welcome to Suna, country of sand and eternal summer heat."

"Uh, t-thank you."

* * *

When Neji woke up due to the swiltering heat the last person she expected to see was the eagle zoanthrope, Torune.

"Where is Shino?"

"No idea." She grumbled.

Torune squawked making her jump in surprise. "Where. Is. He?"

She stared at him in shock. "I already told you, I don't know where he is."

"Torune." Both of them turned to see Shino and Kiba walking towards them. "Why are you here?"

The eagle's expression twisted in anger and sadness. "Shibi's dead."


	8. Chapter 8

Name – Goddess

Chapter Warnings – Fem-Kiba, Fem-Neji, Fem-Gaara, Male-TenTen, Fem-Sasuke, Fem-Iruka, violence, language, character death (Aburame Shibi)

Chapter Pairings – ShinoKiba, (Slight) GaaNaru, (Slight) LeeNeji, (Slight) NaruSasu, (Slight) ItaSasu

_MarcAnthonyCantor – _Thank you for your review and your message. It was the kick in the butt that I needed. I hope you like this chapter.

_Elemental Dragon Swordsman – _Oh c'mon! I want to know who you thought was going to buy our blond hero. And, yes, I intentionally put in a young girl as a symbol of 'corrupt innocence'. There's so much of it. Hope you like this chapter.

_SparkyOne – _Thank you so much! Your review got me thinking about the logic in my story.

Now, let's see. Zoanthropes are humungous compared to humans, especially the mammals and the alphas even more so. However amazons aren't all _that_ tall. In fact, they're not that much bigger than adult human males though it varies depending on the animal specie they resemble. So the reason why they can mate is because the size of a zoanthrope's (ahem) 'reproductive organ' isn't very poportionate to the rest of his body. The purpose of a zoanthrope's sheer size is battle (to hunt so it can feed his family and to protect his family from threats) and other smaller things like shielding his family from heavy weather, carrying his pregnant mate or newborns and so on.

I have to say that Kakashi's ability wasn't my best idea either. I agree. I was trying to give him an ability that was similar to what gave him the title 'Copy Ninja' and would be unique enough to make him sort of special. I could have failed.

And to answer your question: of course! Sharingan is too badass to not include it in _Goddess_.

_Sexy-n luvn-it_ – Thank you for your review. I intentionally added chilren both as slaves and in the auction room. In my experience, children are a big symbol of innocence so including them makes slavery seem even worse than it already is.

No, you're not weird at all. And even if you are, I like weird. I get a lot of inspiration from books, movies and games. Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed and recently Alice: Madness Returns are some of them. This is a big compliment for me as designing video games is something I'd like to do.

I apologize for the long wait.

_NeoRyu – _Yes, it was very frustrating. I nearly punched a hole in my screen. But it takes more than that to bring me down, haha!

To answer your question: No one, other than the Uchiha clan, really knows that Sasuke is a woman.

That's all I can give you for now.

Thank you for being patient.

_StigmaReborn _– You guessed right. Dryad Meadow is avoided for a reason. But who knows what's happened since the last time an unfortunate person stumbled upon it?

I've actually rewritten this chapter multiple times. It was rather difficult to keep the pace steady and not reveal everything in one chapter. It's a lot harder now that my guidelines are gone. And the new ones aren't any help at all since I forgot half of the old ones. But I'm hopeful.

_-Id – _Haha, yeah, I thought there would be more mentions of 'what! The big, bad leader is dead? How did that happen? I thought he was uber-powerful?'. But they'll get interested soon enough, hehehe….

_Nameless – _You didn't enter a name, so I didn't know what else to write down, sorry. Your review was such an ego-booster! Keeping a steady pace is one of the things I have difficulties with other than drowning a story in details. So thank you for the compliments.

_Hyuuzumaki lover __– _The Sunset Ball is going to have really pretty lights, that's for sure. Even I'm excited and I'm writing it :D

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

000

_Chapter XIIX – __A Woman Scorned, Part I_

Shikamaru knew that travelling through the Reckless Woods at night was dangerous. Especially, when three of his team members had never been outside of Konoha before.

While Hinata had missions before, her close family made sure to keep her within Konoha, preferable in the north where the Hyuuga's had the most authority. She had the needed battle experience, but she never fought anything other than humans. However, she knew what creatures were roaming in the Reckless Woods.

Both Sakura and Ino had never been in an actual battle though Sakura had almost completed her warrior's education. Due to that, Shikamaru assumed that she knew what was waiting for them… what could've been watching them since they left the grand gates of their country.

He guessed wrong.

They had been walking for almost two hours when the cries began. At first, it was just screams and the occasional wail. The girls shivered.

"There are no infants in or around Konoha." He had reminded them when the wails became louder.

But when ten minutes passed, more sounds began to echo through the trees. And this time, Sakura had stopped in her tracks.

"_Help me! Please, help me!"_

If Yamato had not heard her faint reply of 'hello?' she would've been yet another restless soul haunting the ground under their feet. He turned around, much faster than any of the others, and yanked Sakura back just as a hideous head shot out of the bushes, nearly biting off half of her face.

Ino screamed when the Other revealed itself completely.

Though almost any book obout Konoha or its history described the infamous apex predators of the Reckless Woods and even had drawings of them, nothing came close to actually seeing one.

The mere moment one needed to bypass the shock and disgust was enough time for it to land the killing blow.

It was almost two meters with long, spider-like limbs to which three-digit hands were attached. It was incredibly skinny, so much so that you could count each section of its spine and it was so pale that every green vein was visible as well as most of its muscle tissue.

Its head was long and thin. Its perfectly round eyes glew orange in the dark. Two tiny holes served as nostrils above a lipless mouth lined with two rows of long, sharp teeth.

Even Yamato froze for several seconds.

Shikamaru cursed, noticing the loose skin under its belly. Others were hermaphrodites. But this particular one had just become a mother.

"_Help me!"_ It wailed. _"Help me, please!"_

Ino screamed again, backing up into TenTen. This shook the others awake. Yamato pulled back Sakura, who seemed paralyzed, but not before creating a wooden wall between them and the Other.

Shikamaru knew this only gave them a few seconds advantage. "Run!"

No one questioned his order. The Nara clan knew the Reckless Woods like no other.

"_No! No! Help me!"_

"_Mommy?"_

Shikamaru cursed again. Others usually hunted solo, unless they were raising a child. He jumped onto a tree branch, dodging a blow to the head as the father came into view.

It was not much larger than the mother, but it hadn't gone through the exhausting process of birth.

"Damnit!" Shikamaru hated them. Others were not much stronger than humans, but they were incredibly difficult to kill and a healthy one could maintain a chase at full speed for days.

Without thinking twice, he searched his bag for the incense, keeping a close eye on the rest of his team as they distracted the two Others. As soon as it was lit, the creatures screamed.

"_Aargh! Aargh! Mommy!"_

He held onto the incense as he signaled for them to follow him.

"Couldn't you do that before?" TenTen grumbled.

"I didn't think we would have to use it." Shikamaru said, feeling angry at Sakura even though he couldn't blame her.

"_Help me! He__eeelp me!"_

Shikamaru shivered. No, he couldn't blame her at all.

The dinner began peacefully. Naruto and Lee, both who had never been to Suna before, were awestruck by their food. They 'oohed' and 'aahed' over herbed potatoes that changed color when dipped in olive oil, oddly-shaped fruit that spat out sticky, sweet juice from the bottom when poked and nuts which if placed by your ear made a sound which almost suggested a tiny creature was knocking on the inside of the shell.

They were having a good time trying out everything, until Naruto accidentally squirted some fruit juice on the queen's plate. His smile vanished as everyone waited for her reaction. And to his utter surprise, she smiled softly.

Naruto returned the smile nervously. He didn't know why, but their kindness was freaking him out. He lost most of his enthusiasm after he noticed that the queen was staring at him. She didn't bother to hide it either.

He made a point not to look her way and the dinner continued silently. Only Kakashi and Temari had a short conversation about politics.

A conversation which confused Naruto. It had successfully caught his attention when one of them mentioned his father. And certain comments had him squirming in his seat in an attempt to keep himself from demanding answers.

After the servants collected the dishes, the uncomfortable silence nearly drove him mad.

"I trust you have proper clothes for the ball?" Temari said, breaking the silence.

"All I have is my armor. Actually, it isn't even mine. It's borrowed." Naruto replied quickly.

"Well, that won't do." Queen Gaara said, still staring at him. "You will have to purchase something more suitable before it begins."

"I-I don't have the money."

"We'll give you some."

Why?

Naruto wanted to ask, but he couldn't. He tried to catch Kakashi's eye, but the man pointedly looked the other way.

Something wasn't right.

"Naruto?"

Naruto turned back to the queen. "Yes?"

"You will accept the money, won't you?"

He nodded uncertainly.

"You seem uncomfortable."

He snorted before he could stop himself. "Do I?"

"Would you rather we order something for you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I'd love to see more of Suna. A shopping spree would give me the excuse."

"Would you like someone to accompany you?" Her green eyes never seemed to blink. He felt more brainwashed staring into them than when he was being controlled by Kyuubi.

"No, that's alright."

Queen Gaara nodded. "I'll have the money taken to your room. You may shower if you wish."

Naruto stood up too fast. He flushed when the others gave him weird looks. "Are you alright, Naruto?"

He didn't look at her when he replied, "I'm fine."

Without waiting on Lee or Kakashi, he left the dining hall. Once he no longer felt the queen's piercing stare in his back, he sped up. He was almost running by the time he reached the guest rooms. Once inside, he dropped himself on his bed and waited for the other two.

Kakashi barely closed the door when Naruto jumped up. "What's up with her?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb." Naruto growled. "The queen. She'd been staring at me the whole time. And they're so _nice_. Why?"

Kakashi sighed, but didn't asnwer, It made Naruto angry.

"Don't give me that. Does it have something to do with Kyuubi?" Naruto demanded, "Or my father?" He added in a whisper.

Kakashi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "This is not the right time nor place to discuss this, Naruto." He added softly.

Naruto frowned, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "You think they're siding with the Uchiha clan?" He whispered.

Kakashi shook his head, the slight glare in his visible eye told him to drop it. Naruto glanced at Lee, but he looked away.

Naruto clenched his fists, feeling the anger rise up in his throat.

'_Friends? Ha!'_The demon's deep voice echoed mockingly in his head.

'_Shut up!' _Naruto thought, almost automatically. Something flared in his stomach before disappearing just as suddenly. Nonetheless, it left him nauseous. He completely ignored Kakashi and refused to answer when he asked if he wanted to shower first. A part of him knew he was being childish, but at the moment, he couldn't care less.

He was tired of being lied to. And he felt that, now that Kyuubi wasn't controlling him anymore, Kakashi wasn't as willing to tell the truth as before.

He looked up when he felt Lee looking at him. "What?" He snapped, tired of being stared at.

Lee flinched at the volume. "Listen, Suna…"

"Suna, what?" Naruto persisted.

Lee glanced at the showers as if he were afraid Kakashi could still hear them. "I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but… Suna's always had a fascination with the Tailed Demons."

"What do you mean?"

"There was even a period when other countries accused them of being satanists." Lee continued. "Especially after they turned their king into a demon vessel."

Naruto felt his mind go blank yet at the same time dozens of questions seemed to race across his brain. Before he could voice any of them, someone knocked on their door.

A servant came in, bowing humbly before presenting a large bag to Naruto who had to be kicked in the shins before he accepted it. "Thanks." He muttered.

The servant bowed again and left.

Naruto opened it and choked.

Neji said nothing as a pained roar sent tremors throughout her whole body. She could do nothing but watch as Shino's bestial screams gradually turned into whines, a sound so full of heartbreaking sorrow that it gave her goosebumps.

She couldn't get her head around it.

Shibi was dead. The alpha, the tall panther zoanthrope that radiated raw power was… dead.

She bit her lip, unable to take her eyes off Shino. Kiba tried to calm him down. Eventually he allowed himself to be pet and placed his head in her arms. Even Kiba, who had expressed hatred for her alpha, had tear-stained cheeks.

"Was he killed?" Neji asked softly.

"We believe so." Torune said.

"I don't-" She began, but she stopped when Shino abrubtly pulled his head out of Kiba's soothing hold.

"What?" He hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"Our water has been poisoned." Torune explained. "Shibi's not the only one who passed away."

The roar that followed was different from before. Shino's anger shook every cell under her skin. "We leave now!"

Neji started. "What? What about the others?"

"Our pride is in danger. I could care less about them at this point." Shino growled, causing all the sympathy Neji had for him to vanish. "You may join us or stay behind. Which one will it be?"

Neji stuttered. She jumped when he growled at her in his impatience. "Alright! I'll join."

"Kiba, you know the way back to the pride?"

Kiba nodded as she mounted Akamaru. "Yes."

Shino answered with a nod of his own and when Neji looked back up, he was gone. Neji didn't have much time to protest to anything as she was hoisted on the giant dog.

She closed her eyes, remembering all too well that riding massive canines wasn't her favorite way to travel. However, as Akamaru started to run, she felt much less uncomfortable than before. Mainly because she didn't feel as if she was about to be thrown off at any minute.

She sat firmly in place, her fingers curled in Akamaru's furr and her head resting against Kiba's chest.

It was the first time she noticed how tall the young amazon actually was.

Neji estimated her to be around 2.15 meters. Much taller than most human females could ever hope to be, especially at such a young age. She found herself staring at Kiba after Akamaru needed to rest once they were out of the desert.

"Is there something on my face?"

Neji blinked. "No. Of course not. I was just wondering, how tall are you?"

"2.17, I think. I'm still growing though."

"Well, you'd have to." Neji muttered.

"Why?"

"Because he'd crush you otherwise." Neji snapped, her face growing hot.

Kiba tilted her head in confusion. "Crush me how?"

"Well, you know, once you two are ready to, uh, consummate your marriage."

"You mean, having children?"

"Yes, exactly. Not that I think about such things." Neji added hastily.

"About what? Children?"

"No!" Neji hissed, impatiently. "The part where you _make_ them."

Kiba's face lit up in understanding. "Oh! You mean, mating?" Her face fell. "Why would he crush me during mating?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't do it intentionally. It's just that, despite you being tall as it is, he is still much larger than you."

"Oh! _Oh."_ She repeated, finally getting it. "No, don't worry about that. That, well, it works."

Neji stared at her. "You mean, you've already…"

"Well, yes, we _are_ married."

"But you're so young." Neji pauzed. "How young are you?"

Kiba scrunched her nose. "We don't count in human years."

"Oh."

An awkward silence followed.

Akamaru interrupted it with a loud bark that made Neji jump. Kiba petted the giant canine, but even after stroking its snout, Akamaru wouldn't stop barking.

Kiba lifted her nose into the air. One glance at her face told Neji everything she needed to know.

"We need to move. Someone's coming." Kiba said unnecessarily.

Neji was already packing the sheets and water bottles.

000

Naruto stared at himself in the mirror. His kimono was laying neatly on his bed. It was deep purple with orange koi fish, blue rivers and red cardinals stitched on it. The underkimono was dark green while the pants were simple shade of grey. But it wasn't the most expensive thing he had bought.

Within three hours one of the best blacksmiths in the world would deliver his new armor to the Suna palace. Custom-made including gauntlets, boots, chainmail, leather straps, weapon pouches- the whole shebang- and worth more than all of his previous armor and battle equipment put together. It even had a tiny build-in crossbow that could launch arrows, senbon, poisoned barbs and small smoke bombs.

Of course, Kakashi had suggested it. He and Lee had helped him with the requirements and everything. In gratitude, he had bought them both beautiful kimono jackets.

And he still had some money left.

It felt good. But strange good. As if he should feel guilty for feeling good. It was odd. He had never received so much money and the fact that he hadn't done anything to earn it made the sensations unpleasant and unwelcome. This was normal to elite clans like the Hyuugas and royal families. This was the kind of money they could spent whenever they wanted to for luxurious things like clothes, jewelry, food and even servants or slaves. All that money for themselves while people and animals alike were suffering right outside their door.

Naruto inhaled deeply as he thought of Iruka who had worked two jobs most of her life and still barely managed to pay the rent sometimes.

It hurt to see the truth of the world he lived in. It hurt to think that money, which had once been a wonderful thing designed to help people, had been turned into something so easy to hate.

Naruto briefly wondered when money had turned into a monster, a weapon before telling himself there was too much difference in their world. Life had to become equal again.

"You ready?"

Naruto jumped when Kakashi appeared behind him. "Uh, yeah."

It was four hours till the ball, four hours till the Uchiha clan, led by the infamous prodigies themselves, would stand before them.

"Explain to me again why you didn't refuse the invitation." Naruto asked as they walked down to the palace training grounds where Lee was waiting for them.

"Because Suna might just be the only country the Uchiha clan couldn't attack head on."

This made Naruto stop for a moment. "Why?"

"Well, first of all, think about where we are." Kakashi replied. "The people of Suna have a great advantage because of where they live. The desert is dangerous and treacherous to anyone but them, including the Uchiha clan."

"That makes sense." Naruto said before thinking it over. "But so did we. We have the Reckless Woods as our defense."

"A defense the Uchiha clan was already familiar with. Once explored and studied, the Reckless Woods isn't that dangerous anymore if one only has to travel through it." Kakashi explained. "The desert, however, is different. It's not like the forest or woods were anyone with half a brain and a bit of skill will know how to survive. Unlike the Reckless Woods, the creatures living in the desert aren't the only things that can kill you. The intense heat, the intense cold, the lack of water and food, the harsh light, the unsteady, shaky surface of the sand."

"It can be just as hot and cold in the Reckless Woods because of the bipolar weather." Naruto interrupted.

"But if it's hot there is shade to rest under, rivers to bathe in and drink from, berries to eat. If it's cold there is wood to make fire, caves to hide in and so on."

Naruto grimaced. "Right. So the Land of the Hourglass is ten times worse than the Reckless Woods. But still, this will keep them from attacking us even though we're right in front of them?" He asked as he followed Kakashi into what seemed to be a weapon shack. He spotted Lee waiting for them with folded arms and a small frown on his face.

Naruto saw the fleeting glance Lee gave Kakashi and immediately knew something was going to happen that he didn't like. He flinched when he bumped into the wall causing all the shelves, each stacked with all kinds of weapons, to rattle.

Lee looked at him.

"What? It's crowded in here. Weapon shacks weren't made for battle plan meetings or whatever this is."

Kakashi shook his head almost fondly. "Now," He began slowly, "as you both know we are currently in a tough situation that could be twisted to our advantage if we plan this carefully. The queen has invited us to the Sunset Ball, declining wouldn't be without consequences so we have no choice but to attend. However, the Uchiha clan has also been invited. Or, more specifically, the prodigies. Naturally, this is a problem."

"But we're lucky that we're in Suna, right?" Naruto said, "because they won't be as quick as to attack full out like they did with Konoha."

Kakashi nodded. "They can't afford to attack full out. I'm confident that they won't do so unless they have no choice."

"But?" Naruto didn't like the way they were looking at him.  
"Naruto, there is a good chance that the prodigies got their invitation _after_ us."

Naruto gave him a blank stare. "So?"

"Think about it, Naruto." Lee said. "Konoha and Suna have been allies for a long time. Suna _knows_ our history with the Uchiha clan yet the queen told us they'd be joining the ball as if we'd be entirely okay with it."

"They-" Naruto stopped, freezing before he could voice his question. "She warned them. She told them we were here, didn't she?"

Kakashi frowned. "I believe so."

"Why?"

"Something's happening and, as far as I can tell, the only ones who really know what's going on is the Uchiha clan. I don't believe Konoha is the first country they attacked as they already possessed a namutri before they did."

"So how come Konoha didn't know the Uchiha clan was on the move again if they'd already attacked a country before us?"

"Because it was a country nobody cared about." Kakashi said. "I believe that the Uchiha clan's first victim was Oto."

"But..." Naruto stopped when Kakashi raised his hand.

"Oto is the only country that doesn't have any allies. Why? Because Oto is arrogant, selfish and have always referred to themselves as the 'ancestors of mankind'. Nobody is stupid enough to go out of their way for a country that will certainly stab them in the back sooner or later." Kakashi explained to both his team members. "But, because of this, anything that happens in or to Oto is basically unknown to the rest of the world."

Lee's face lit up as he remembered something. "I heard Oto was attacked just two weeks or so before the Uchiha clan attacked us."

"Exactly, but because we didn't know and never cared to find out who was responsible so Konoha and all the other countries were entirely unprepared for what happened next." Kakashi continued. "Imagine being the ruler of a country and being told that the infamous Uchiha clan crushed an entire country within less than twenty-four hours. The next day you find out that they stole something. What goes through your head?"

"Something terrible is about to happen?" Lee offered when Naruto was still stuck trying to imagine himself as a king.

"Something the Uchiha clan knows of or is responsible for. So if your people are your greatest concern, would it be wise to pretend nothing is happening?" Both Naruto and Lee shook their heads. "Would it be wise to join forces with the country the Uchiha clan devoured with little effort?"

"Oh, I get what you're saying." Naruto said, though it didn't make him any happier. "Kings and queens are making nice with the Uchiha clan because they don't want to suffer the same fate as us."

"Or worse." Lee added.

Kakashi nodded. "That's what I think. Why else would Suna let them snoop around their underground tunnels? Or invite them to the ball?"

"So why not just hold us prisoner?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing. "And why did they give me so much money which I could use to buy my new armor and stuff?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't know."

"Lee told me Suna has an… _unhealthy_ interest in the Tailed Beasts." Naruto said carefully. "Does that have something to do with it?"

"I doubt it. The accusations against Suna is a thing of the past. Many evidences proved that it isn't the Tailed Beasts they worship, but the ones holding them as a 'thank you' for their courage and sacrifices. Plus, this is only the case for their own jinchuuriki."

"Jinchuuriki? I didn't realize we had a name." Naruto mumbled. "Then why was she and the rest so nice to me? It doesn't make sense."

"I know it doesn't." Kakashi froze, "Unless…"

"Unless?"

Kakashi's visible grey eye widened. Naruto grew nervous at the sight. "This isn't good."

"What? What isn't?" Lee asked, alerted.

"If this means what I think it means than we're in big trouble." Kakashi whispered. He turned to them. "What do you know about the sharingan?"

"Sharingan? As in the country of the Uchiha?"

"No, as in their ability."

"Nada." Naruto deadpanned.

"As much as he does." Lee said, jerking his head towards Naruto.

"It's an ability of the eye. When their eyes glow red it means their sharingan is active. In each case it gives them the power to create illusions that are very difficult to shake off or even identify as such. It also allows them to copy movements. However, each individual Uchiha has an entirely unique ability that comes with it."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah, got it."

"And you?" Kakashi asked, looking at Lee.

"I think so."

"This ability can only be used if the Uchiha unlocks their mangekyo."

"I assume you're not talking about another country?" Lee said, rubbing his head.

"No, mangekyo is like an upgraded version of the sharingan." Kakashi tried, finding it difficult to explain without using big words, "Mangekyo allows them to use the sharingan's hidden ability that differs per Uchiha."

"Right."

"One Uchiha," Kakashi said slowly, "by the name of Uchiha Madara was known for his ability to control someone even through long distances."

It was quiet in the weapon shack for a long time.

"Are you telling us," Lee began, "that the Uchiha clan is controlling the queen of Suna?"

Kakashi's face darkened. "I know this is the last thing you two want to hear, but it would explain everything."

"How so?"

"She won't take us prisoner because it will betray the fact that she isn't herself." Kakashi started to sum up. "She invited us to the Sunset Ball, knowing that we won't be able to decline and that the Uchiha clan will be there, effectively trapping us."

"What about her interest in me?"

"If you think about it, it's rather obvious." Kakashi said, raising his eyebrow.

Naruto tensed his jaw, offended. "Well, I've thought about it, but it still doesn't make sense to me."

"The namutri in Konoha was hidden behind _your_ father's portrait in _your_ father's memorial hall. _You_ are the only who attacked their king, went crazy and managed to land an attack that has probably resulted in a scar. _You_ were there when the assassins jumped us. _You_ are here now."

Naruto stared at him, wide-eyed. Kakashi stared back, his face serious.

"You managed to land a hit on him… her, I mean." Lee repeated incredulously. "Wow, _I_ couldn't hit her, but I'm much faster than you."

"I had help." Naruto muttered as he felt himself shrinking under Kakashi's intense gaze.

"Abilities aren't the only things a clan shares. Appearance and personality traits are also very similar to members of the same clan." Kakashi said clearly. "The Uchiha clan is known for being sneaky, manipulative, vengeful, spiteful, arrogant and plently of other negative things. Though not all of them are correct, I can say from hand-first experience, that at least one of them is true."

"Which is?" Naruto asked before he could stop himself.

"Vengeful." Was the immediate answer. "They never forgive a wrong done to them, Naruto, and they won't forget it until they're even. And you've done their king wrong." Kakashi said. "You probably gave her her first scar, if not her first wound."

"Oh no." Lee breathed.

"Oh no is right."

Naruto felt shivers run up his spine. A smirk that belonged on the face of a demon briefly appeared on his face. "Let her come."

Kakashi's expression turned into concern. "I was afraid you'd say that." He paused before carefully adding, "Or was it Kyuubi talking?"

Naruto's eyes snapped to him. "What?" He hissed.

"I have to be careful, Naruto." Kakashi said, looking almost apologetic, but not quite, "the demon isn't gone and I'm sure you're not the only one wanting a rematch."

The anger in Naruto's eyes didn't fade., but his breathing slowed down. "Are we still going to train?"

"That's another thing I want to talk about."

Kakashi looked at Lee, who faltered. "What?"

"You tell him." Kakashi said, bluntly.

"Why?"

"He's already pissed at me. He might listen better to you."

Lee spluttered before sighing. "Listen, Naruto, we both know that you'd absolutely love to rip her to pieces for what she did, but you have to sober up and look at reality."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"There is no way you'd be able to equally fight her, let alone defeat her, as you are. She'd destroy you. If you come to her now or just sit around waiting for her to come to you, you'll just be doing exactly what she wants you to do. Because you are no match for her at the moment."

"That's why we should stop talking and start training."

"And you think that within less than three hours you'll be strong enough to kill the leader of the Uchiha clan, one of the two prodigies, who led the attack against Oto and Konoha, leaving both countries in ruins?" Kakashi asked, unable to keep quiet.

"Well-"

"You do realize that if my theory about the queen being controlled is right than that means that she'd do anything to make sure you'd attend the ball. Even give you an extraordinaire sum of money that was suspiciously enough to buy yourself a nice kimono _and_ a fancy armor?"

"What are you saying?"

"Do you know how many warriors get killed due to arrogance because they recently bought a better equipment?"

"Uh, Kakashi?" Lee tried.

"Are you saying I can't go to the ball?"

Kakashi froze. "Shit."

"You'll get killed without a doubt. And you _are_ the weakest member of this team so it would be safer if you, you know, hid somewhere instead." Lee said, attempting to sugar-coat it with a soft smile.

The smile disappeared when obvious hurt flashed in Naruto's eyes. "You're calling me weak?"

"No!" Lee said, alarmed. "No, I never said you were weak. I said you're the weakest _in this team_. Plus you've become a special target which makes it even more dangerous for you."

Naruto's face went stone cold. It was an expression that neither Kakashi nor Lee had ever seen on him. While Lee abrubtly stood straight, Kakashi tensed when blue eyes landed on him.

"Why don't you just come clean and say you don't want me there because you're afraid Kyuubi is going to act up again?"

Kakashi tensed up even more. "Naruto, this is for your own good."

Naruto stomped the floor. "You're not even denying it!"

"Alright. Fine." Kakashi said, making Naruto stop in his anger outburst. "Let's fight."

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered, glancing between Lee and Kakashi as the latter led them out of the shack.

"You versus me and Lee. If you win, I'll let you do whatever you want and I won't interfere or comment on it. One fight, anything goes."

"You and Lee- are you _kidding_ me?"

"No, I'm not because that's how powerful you'll have to be to come even close to taking on the king!"

Naruto stood still before at long last he matched Kakashi's challenging glare. "You're on."

Lee groaned.

"No death." Kakashi said, ignoring Lee, "We're not fighting to kill. Nevertheless, going easy on one another is out of the question. Understood?"

"Understood." Naruto hissed, glaring back.

"Lee?"

Lee shook his head. "Why are we going to fight each other a few hours before the Uchiha clan arrives?"

"Well, _we_ won't be the ones getting any damage from this. He will." Kakashi drawled, pointing at Naruto.

Naruto bristled.

"But what if Kyuubi starts-"

"Even with Kyuubi he won't be able to defeat us."

"You're angering him on purpose, aren't you?" Lee bit out. "Are you planning on beating him senseless so he'll be too injured to attend the ball? That's going too far."

"Too late, Lee." Naruto spat. "I'm already pissed as fuck so just bring it!"

"No!"

"Fight me!"

"No!"

"Come on!"

Lee gritted his teeth. He glanced at Kakashi who raised his eyebrow at him. Lee turned back to Naruto before sighing.

Naruto took his battle position. "You're seriously going to do this?" Lee nodded stiffly, "Good. The fight begins in one, two, three-"

"Excuse me?" The three men turned to a servant who seemed completely unbothered by the fact that they were about to lunge at each other's throats. "Her Highness asked me to tell you that Uchiha clan has arrived."

_Chapter XIX – The__ Secrets & Sins of Namikaze Minato, Part I_

"Dryad Meadow." TenTen whispered. He wasn't surprised when Ino's iron grip on his arm tightened, knowing from experience that getting her to let go would only result into high-pitched screams whenever a nearby bush moved. He'd been dragging her along since their encounter with the two Others.

They hadn't run into any other creatures after that, but they knew better than to be relieved. It meant something was wrong. Dryad Meadow was supposed to be crawling with the most dangerous creatures in the Reckless Woods.

Shikamaru tensed, his body alert and ready to respond at any sudden movement ever since they entered the thick mist.

"If I die, Yamato is leader." Shikamaru said suddenly before adding, "Just so you know."

"What if _he_ dies too?" Ino asked. She was going to say something else before pausing.

Nobody stopped to think. Yamato grabbed Sakura, warning her to be alert, as the rest also took their battle positions.

"I-I sense something." Ino said, confirming everyone's thoughts.

"But?" TenTen demanded through gritted teeth.

"It feels strange. Not like what I'd expected a dryad to feel like."

"Describe it." Shikamaru ordered shortly, ignoring the feeling in his stomach.

"Well, you know, dryads being the spirits of flora, specifically trees, I thought they'd feel similar to an earth user. But it feels more…intangible. Like water or something."

"Nymphs?" TenTen hissed incredulously.

"What are nymphs doing here?" Yamato said, sounding calmer than TenTen, but not much. "I don't like this. We should head back."

"Something's coming." Hinata spoke, causing Shikamaru's breathing to stop. He was ready to deal with, and even fight, anything – anything but nymphs.

"Is it humanoid?" Silence, "Hinata?"

"Oh, uhm, I'm not sure."

"How can you not be sure?" Shikamaru, on edge, snapped at Hinata causing her to jump. Sakura glared at him.

"It's male." Ino said.

"Male? Nymphs are an all-female race."

"Well, I'm not exactly a nymph."

Ino screamed at the stranger's voice.

"How rude."

"Who are you?" Shikamaru demanded. "Where are the dryads?"

"Dryad Meadow is dead." The male said, "There are no more dryads in the Reckless Woods."

"What?"

"You're lying. Who are you?" Yamato snapped. "What have you done to them?"

"I have done nothing. I am not to blame. I have caused no one pain."

"Who are you?" Yamato repeated.

"I am no one. And maybe a little bit of everyone."

"That doesn't make sense." Shikamaru hissed, getting irritated. "What are you?"

"What I am? I am the reason the dryads made this particular section of the forest their home."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "What's your name?"

"They call me Zetsu. What do they call you?"

"Shikamaru." He answered shortly, "Why are you the reason the dryads gathered here?"

"Because I came from that which gave these woods it's name."

There was a confused silence which strengthened when Shikamaru didn't reply immediately. The thick mist caused everyone to miss the fleeting shock on his face.

"_Why do they call it the Reckless Woods?_

_Because if the trees and flowers could_

_They'd speak of war and bloodshed._

_They'd speak of the dead buried in their bed._

_Why does the wind sound like it's crying?_

_Because it has seen these brave men dying._

_It has seen the sorrow on the face of death._

_And carries the remnants of their last breath." _Shikamaru sung without thinking.

Zetsu sighed after. "I like that song. And yet, I don't like it at all."

"I'll ask you again." Shikamaru said softly. "Who are you?"

"I am the words you just sung. I am that which is gone."

"It can't be Mo'onurr. He said his name is Zetsu." Yamato said to Shikamaru.

"Do not speak as if I am not here. Though one could say I am everywhere." Zetsu said. "I am no oracle nor am I his son. By the way, did you know that he too is gone?"

"What? The king of dryads is dead?"

Shikamaru cursed. "I think I know who and what you are. But I can't wrap my head around it. Stop talking like you're the Sphinx and tell me what I need to know."

Zetsu sighed again. "I am Zetsu, as I said before. Maybe you should sing once more?"

Shikamaru scowled.

"_Why do they call it the Reckless Woods?_

_Because if the trees and flowers could_

_They'd bring you the finest cherry wine,_

_And speak of those who were left behind._

_Why does the wind sound like its weeping?_

_Because deep below there's a sorrow sleeping._

_So it cries for the restless and distraught,_

_For the heroes that the world forgot."_

Yet again, Zetsu sighed once Shikamaru was finished. "You might wonder what happened to those souls who had nowhere to go. Well, you see, they became... me."

"You've got to be joking." TenTen choked.

"I do not joke or kid or lie. Those who've died became I. A spirit consisting of thousands of others. Perished sons, fathers and brothers."

"Sweet mercy," Yamato exclaimed, "are you telling me you're the... fallen heroes of Konoha?"

"No," Shikamaru said, his eyes narrowing, "He's a spirit creature that absords restless souls."

The air became tense.

"Please, do not get this wrong. I simply gave these heroes a home. I was created for something grand: a world that never ends." Zetsu said.

"You were created? By whom?" Shikamaru demanded. "And what do you mean with 'a world that never ends'?"

"They hear the cheers of those they saved. They receive rewards for being brave. They raise their drinks to 'Konoha!' to 'victory!'. They are reunited with their family. They could not have Heaven and thus, they cried. So I gave them the world that would have happened had they not died."

"You're an artificial paradise?" Shikamaru whispered.

"Oh my god." Sakura breathed.

Soft sobs were heard as the group fell silent.

"Hinata?"

"I-I'm sorry. I-it's just..." She trailed off, now crying openly.

"Do not weep, my little friend. They will never hurt again."

"Who created you?" Yamato said, repeating Shikamaru's question.

"She did."

"Who is 'she'?"

"The Goddess." Zetsu hissed.

The tension returned as the mist seemed to turn thicker.

"What 'goddess'?" Shikamaru asked, more carefully as he and the other took a step back.

"_The_ Goddess." Zetsu's voice was no longer soft and melodious, "And she's angry. Very, very angry."

Strange howls suddenly pierced through the mist.

"Fenrirs." Yamato whispered.

"Are they dangerous?" Ino said just as softly while cutting off the bloodflow in TenTen's arm.

"No, they're adorable puppies." Shikamaru hissed, "That's why we're shaking in our boots."

"Then why aren't we running?"

"Because we're surrounded." Hinata whispered.

000

"Don't do anything stupid." Was the first thing Kakashi said.

"Am I coming?" Naruto demanded.

"We don't really have a choice. There's no time to discuss a plan." Lee stated, looking at Kakashi.

"Shit." Kakashi spat out. "This is bad."

"We'll have to improvise." Lee added.

Both looked at Naruto with a frown.

"What?" He snapped before getting it, "Oh yeah sure, you're expecting me to mess up somehow, aren't you?"

"You won't." Kakashi said firmly. "That's an order."

Although the tone wasn't one that Naruto liked, he found himself losing steam. It was quickly replaced with anxiety. "Oh god, we're screwed."

"None of that." Kakashi said, waving a finger at him, "I'd rather have you pissed out of your mind at us than stuck with the idea that we're going to fail before something has even gone wrong."

"Something _has_ gone wrong. We have no plan." Lee said unhelpfully. "And we're stuck in a country in the middle of the desert with the Uchiha clan that might be controlling the ruler of said country."

"Look at the positive things." Kakashi hissed.

"What 'positive things'?" Naruto raged, "There _are_ no 'positive things'. We're doomed."

"We could get the rest?" Lee tried.

"How?"

"Uh…"

"I knew it. We're done for."

Lee frowned, "Wasn't the Uchiha clan supposed to arrive during the Sunset Ball and _not_ before?"

Kakashi sighed, "That's what I thought. I had assumed they were the honored guests of the ball, but apparently they aren't. We are."

"So honored guests arrive later?" Naruto asked, confused, "That's weird."

"No, it's not. It is done this way so that the special guests will see whatever celebration they've been invited to in its full glory as soon as they arrive." Kakashi raised his eyebrow in question when Naruto's face lit up.

"I have an idea." Naruto said with a grin. "Didn't the desert bandits say that the prodigies would be morth millions?"

Kakashi's look of surprise slowly turned into one as cheeky as his own. "They did, didn't they?"

Lee nodded his approval of the plan. "We have about a little over two hours to convince them. How are we going to do that?"

"Convincing them isn't the problem. It's making sure they don't somehow stab us in the back if everything goes well." Kakashi paused before giving Naruto a concerned look, "Listen, whether you like it or not, something within you changed the moment you got into contact with the demon inside of you."

Naruto opened his mouth to contort, but was silenced when Kakashi calmly raised his hand.

"I'm not judging you or mocking you. But you have to realize that since that moment you have become more… aggressive. More volatile. Your moodswings can put a pregnant woman to shame. Just try and remember what our goal is, Naruto. We didn't come here to kill anybody. Our mission is to get our hands on the namutri hidden somewhere in Suna. So, _please_… don't do anything stupid."

Naruto stared at him for a long time. A part of him wanted to get angry and deny it, but the truth was that Kakashi was right. "I… argh, fine, I know, alright. I'm sorry."

Lee beamed at his apology. "I'm sorry too."

Both of them turned to look at Kakashi who coughed. "Yeah, very. So, Naruto, you and Lee are in charge of recruiting the bandits. I'm going to snoop around and see if I can get some more useful information."

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kakashi's inability to voice a heartfelt apology. "Tough guy, aren't you?"

Kakashi glared at him. "You have an hour. Meet me behind the Sundial Mirror."

"Cool, I've been wanting to see that." Naruto said, remembering the gigantic sundial in the centre of the city that had shot a majestic beam of light into the sky at precisely five o'clock.

"Sightseeing time is over." Kakashi warned. "I'm sure that Naruto's armor has already been delivered. I'll get it for you. After that you set out. It's time for action."

000

Iruka placed the cup of tea in front of her guest, feeling awkward.

"Thank you." Shikaku said, looking just as uncomfortable.

"You're welcome. How's your wife?" She asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Bossy as always." He fidgeted with the end of the tablecloth, "If she knew I were in the house of an unmarried woman…"

Iruka laughed weakly.

Shikaku gave her an equally weak smile in return, "Actually, I'm here to discuss something important. Something I think you might be able to help me with."

Iruka tensed, a sinking feeling in her stomach telling her she was going to hear something she might not want to hear. "It's about Naruto, isn't it?"

"Well-"

"Where is he? And where is Sakura? She hasn't come by for two days now."

Shikaku sighed, "Just, please, listen to me before you start asking questions."

Iruka nodded, gripping her tray tightly enough to dent it.

"Yesterday my son came to me with the heaviest news I've ever heard. The details aren't important right now, but my concern is this: the connection between Namikaze Minato and the object which the Uchiha clan stole from the vault in his memorial room."

Iruka blinked. "Maybe you should talk to someone who knows a little more about this whole ordeal?"

Shikaku shook his head. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. Now, don't get me wrong, I have as much love for our former ruler as anybody else, but… I believe there were many things that Namikaze Minato didn't share with his people."

"I'm sorry. I don't follow you." Iruka said, closing her eyes momentarily in an attempt to force away her upcoming headache.

"I just…I need permission to look into his personal things. And since you were and still are, in fact, Naruto's legal guardian, you can give me that."

Iruka stared at Shikaku, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "What 'personal things'?"

Shikaku blinked. "The rest of Naruto's inheritance? His father's documents, research, journals, valuable objects, weapons…" Shikaku came to a halt at Iruka's expression, "You didn't _know_?"

"Would I have this look of utter confusion on my face if I did?" Iruka snapped. "No one ever told us that there even _were_ possessions to claim."

Shikaku rubbed his jaw. "Well, it makes sense. Why would they want the demon child to get his hands on belongings of the legendary king and hero of Konoha? This is a problem."

"How so?" Iruka demanded, "It's Naruto's right to claim his inheritance. He's had the right since he turned fifteen!"

"Unless, it wasn't in his father's will."

"That's ridiculous. Why wouldn't it be in his will?"

"It probably is." Shikaku admitted, "But how do we prove that?"

Iruka froze. "Excuse me?"

Shikaku sighed, "It's obvious that they didn't want Naruto to get Namikaze Minato's possessions. This means we'll need more than just an assumption that he left his belongings to his son."

"Who is 'they'?"

"Could be anyone with enough power, influence or knowledge in Konoha." Shikaku purposefully didn't voice his other concerns. Was it really because they believed Naruto wasn't worthy of his father's stuff? Or was it because someone had known?

"Why do you need to look at Minato's possessions?"

"Because I believe he knew things about our current… situation. _Very_ important information about…uh, stuff." Shikaku said carefully.

"What 'stuff'?"

Shikaku flinched. "I don't think it would be a good idea to tell you."

"I do." Was the immediate reply.

Shikaku rubbed his temples. "Alright, the orb the Uchiha clan stole, I can't tell you what it is, but… I don't think it was coincidence that it was hidden in Namikaze Minato's memorial room."

"And?"

"Well, I think his possessions can tell me more about this." Shikaku insisted, appearing as if looking Iruka straight in the eyes was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

Iruka snorted. "You just told me the same thing as before using different words."

Shikaku grimaced.

Iruka glared at him. "Just because I'm a waitress that doesn't mean I'm an uneducated idiot!"

"I never thought you were an idiot. But I know from experience that sharing mission details with a civilian always ends bad."

"Then why don't you tell Naruto? He's on the soldier camps on the skirts of Konoha, isn't he?"

"No, he isn't-" Shikaku abrubtly stopped talking, but it was too late.

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked, her eyes wide. "They told me he was- where is he then?"

"Well, since I already messed up I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you he's currently in Suna?" Shikaku said, not sounding too sure about what he was saying.

"Why is he in Suna?"

"You'll just have to trust us."

"Us? Who is 'us'?"

"Well, my son and I, the Hyuuga sisters, Rock Lee, TenTen, Yamato, Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, Hataka Kakashi, your adoptive son and possibly a zoanthrope-amazon pride?"

"What?" Iruka breathed out, looking ready to faint.

"There's also a good chance that Naruto didn't receive all of the money he was supposed to." Shikaku held up his hands when Iruka began to look faint, "Now, take a deep breath. Don't pass out on me. It's okay. We have to focus on how we're going to get the rest of Naruto's inheritance. It's the best way to help him."

Iruka nodded, trying to come across much calmer than she was feeling. "Alright. So what are they doing in Suna?"

"Can't tell you. And as far as I know Naruto's with Lee, Kakashi, Neji and two members of the pride living on the outskirts of the Reckless Woods. The rest is… somewhere else."

Iruka pursed her lips. "Kakashi? Hatake Kakashi? The arrogant ass who calls himself the 'Lone Wolf'?"

Shikaku blinked. "Arrogant? Kakashi is anything, but arrogant. And he doesn't call himself that, others do. How could you ever think he's arrogant. He only acts proud, let alone arrogant, when he's flirt- nevermind." Shikaku coughed. "Let's go, shall we, before my wife becomes suspicious of my long absence on a free day."

000

The architecture of Suna made it very easy to climb onto buildings, jump from rooftop to rooftop and easily spot shortcuts and passageways. However, there was also a problem.

"Where the hell are we?" Naruto blurted out, stopping behind Lee.

Lee bit his lip. He looked left and right before shrugging. "Honestly? I have no idea. I thought the 'secret' tunnel was east from the palace?"

Almost all of the buildings looked alike.

"We can't ask anyone. That wouldn't such a good idea." Naruto mumbled.

"Yeah, but we already lost ten minutes trying to find out where the bandits are."

"Hey, wait a minute, weren't those guys at the slave auction?" Naruto pointed down at the street below.

An odd group had just come out of one of the weapon shops. A tall, big man standing close to a redheaded tomboy munching on a piece of olivebread from the looks of it. Next to them was a man with three pairs of arms and an arachnid on his back the size of a labrador. Walking in front of the group were a pair of cross-dressing twins.  
"We don't know if they are trustworthy."

"We don't have to." Naruto said, "All we need to know is directions to the black market. They'll just think we forgot the third member of our party or something."

Lee frowned, uncertain. "I don't know. Kakashi obviously didn't like the fact that they were there which means they aren't exactly our allies."

"But, like I said, we don't have to be entirely truthful." Naruto replied, kneeling over the edge of the roof.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"You have a better one then? We're wasting valuable time."

"Didn't you have super senses?" Lee said, kneeling down beside him, "Can't you smell the stench of the black market?"

Naruto flinched. "Well, I don't exactly have them. Kyuubi does."

"Oh." Lee's face fell. "And I guess there's no way you can borrow them without undesirable consequences, huh?"

"Not really." Naruto paused, "At least, not that I know of."

"Don't get any funny ideas." Lee warned. "We don't have time to try out whether you can or not. We'll just have to find another way."

"I'll leave that to you then because I have no idea."

"Where was the sun when we left the black market?"

"How should I know?"

Lee groaned. "This isn't good. Can't you do something with your wind element or something? Feel the location?"

"Feel the- I'm not some kind of wind spirit!" Naruto snapped.

"So you can't do that?"

Naruto spluttered, realizing he didn't know whether he could or not. Before he could put together a smart reply, he noticed a flock of very large birds to the right. "What are those?" He said, pointing at them as they circled over something he couldn't see.

Lee squinted. "Griffins, I think."

"Don't griffins only come together when there's a large amount of food in the area or something?"

Lee's face lit up in excitement. "Like a pile of dead bodies dumped by the bandits."

000

The prodigies were always the two strongest warriors of the Uchiha clan. This told Kakashi that the current prodigies, who happened to be siblings, were stronger than the former seeing as both Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Madara were still alive.

And not only were the prodigies the most powerful, but one of them was their clan leader, the king of Sharingan. As far as Kakashi was concerned these facts would make them easy to distinguish from the rest.

He was waiting for them in the grand hall, standing inbetween Temari and Kankuro, while thinking about believable excuses for Naruto and Lee's absence and what he would do if things went out of control.

He exhaled deeply to release some tension in his body when the doors opened. When his eyes landed on the king of Sharingan, Kakashi's mind went blank. His first thought was: _'Impossible. It can't be her'_.

She was young, somewhere around Naruto's age. She was small, barely reaching the jawline of the man walking next to her. She possessed an air of elegance, grace and intellect that made her seem almost vulnerable. Apart from the magnificent kimono she was wearing and the long silver earrings adorned with garnet stones, there was nothing to indicate she was the king or even a part of the royal family.

His second thought was: _'This? Not good.'_

She was beautiful. Not the womanly type of beauty like Neji or Iruka, or the subtle kind like Sakura. She was beautiful in a way that was almost inhuman.

Her skin was pale and completely flawless save for three discreet scars above her cleavage. She had long, dark hair which possessed a distinguished blue hue whenever the light fell upon it and it was free of silver unlike her male disguise. Her eyes, heavy-lidded and almond-shaped, were even darker, to the point where he could clearly see his reflection in them. Her pouty lips were painted red and gave the impression that she was smiling demurely, even though she wasn't.

She was too beautiful, too perfect.

It reminded Kakashi of a succubus and made him wonder she possessed similar abilities. She hadn't looked at him yet. She had walked right up to the queen of Suna, exchanging greetings and compliments. He turned his attention to the man standing next to her.

The king's brother without a doubt. He was the male version of his younger sister with barely noticable differences.

He kept his long hair in a french braid. It wasn't black, but extremely dark brown and shone red instead of blue. His eyes, heavy-lidded and almond-shaped as well, though just as dark as his sister's, didn't reflect anything, not even the light. They reminded Kakashi of black holes. His face wasn't as round as his sister's, his cheekbones less pronounced and if Kakashi squinted just right, he could see the slighest hint of freckles on the bridge of his nose.

He was a head taller than his sister, but still shorter than Kakashi. He appeared to be in his mid or late twenties. He, too, possessed that inhuman beauty similar to that of an incubus. The only reason Kakashi wasn't as attracted to him was because he didn't care for men.

Kakashi flinched when he realized that he was being studied as well.

"Uchiha Itachi." He said with a smooth, deep voice.

"I am-"

"I know who you are." Itachi interrupted. "You are a famed warrior of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi. The Lone Wolf you are called if I remember correctly."

Kakashi nodded, waiting for him to say anything related to the attack, the namutri, the sour relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.

Itachi smiled softly and in a way that made it impossible to see whether it was mocking or not. "I've always wanted to meet the last living student of the king of heroes."

"Really?" Kakashi didn't know what was more difficult: returning the smile or restraining himself from backing away when Itachi walked towards him. "Why is that?"

"I'm an Uchiha. I am naturally drawn to power and your teacher was powerful. So I can't help but wonder if you are as well." Before Kakashi could think of a reply, Itachi continued, "Then again, I'm sure you've done something to earn such a title."

"Indeed." Kakashi snapped his head to the source of the silky soft voice. "Uchiha Sasuke. Although I'm sure you already know, I am the leader of the Uchiha clan."

Kakashi bowed, his mask hiding his grimace at having to do so. "It is an honor." He didn't miss the mocking glint in her eyes. He nodded his head in another small bow to distact them from his clenched fists.

"Although they call you the Lone Wolf, I find it strange to see you here alone." She said, lifting a small hand to brush several black locks off her bare shoulder before, as if automatically, caressing her scars.

"My team members went to explore the rest of Suna so it is possible they didn't get the message of your arrival. I'm sure they'll be here for the ball however."

The way she pursed her lips told Kakashi she knew exactly why he hadn't used their names. He could only hope it would distract her enough to oversee the possibility of him lying about their whereabouts.

"I should hope so." Temari said, folding her arms.

"I'm sure they will be." Kankuro replied before nodding at the prodigies. "Allow me to give you a tour."

"Very well." Sasuke said, though her eyes had not left Kakashi's face. "I would love to see the hall where the ball will be held."

As soon as the prodigies had their backs turned to him, Kakashi tried to identify as many Uchihas as he could. He recognized both Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Shisui, but other than them, none of the others seemed familiar.

Kakashi tensed, when, just before they reached the door, the king turned around. Uchiha Madara turned around to face him. "Namikaze Minato," He said, a tiny smirk appearing when both Kakashi and her brother tensed, "never told you _anything_, did he?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He didn't need to. Those few words were enough to send Kakashi's mind spiralling. He had always had a feeling that there might be a reason the namutri was specifically hidden in his memorial room. He ignored the feeling, because he knew that if it were true… it meant that the king of heroes wasn't as great as they had all believed him to be…

000


End file.
